


if you love me won't you say something?

by MovePastTheFeeling



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bisexual Kara Danvers, F/F, Happy Ending, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-06-03 09:54:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19461565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MovePastTheFeeling/pseuds/MovePastTheFeeling
Summary: Kara surprises even herself as she and Sam flirt relentlessly, much to Lena's chagrin. Will the three women be able to navigate their increasingly complicated relationships, and will any of them ever just look up what "polyamory" is? Will they all be able to find their happy ending?





	1. Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from the lyrics of "Best Part" by Daniel Caesar, feat. H.E.R., an excellent song you all should listen to right away. 
> 
> Anyway, because I refuse to participate in the current canon, for whatever reason, here's a SuperReignCorp fic for you guys. The wrinkle here is that Sam and Kara get together first, which drives Lena absolutely crazy (since she has a crush on both of them, who can blame her?) I'm writing Kara as flirtier than she actually is in the canon, because that's more fun tbh and because she can't handle how attractive Sam is (shout out to Odette Annable, can they please bring her and Jenna Dewan back? Thanks)
> 
> Also, follow me on social media if you want: [Tumblr](http://movepastthefeeling.tumblr.com/) as well as my brand spankin' new [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/MPTF_Fics)

_Over a year from now..._

“Hey, darling,” Sam greets Kara with a quick kiss on the cheek. “Is Lena home yet?”

Kara sighs fondly, shaking her head. “You know she isn’t. Apparently, she has to supervise the situation in the lab personally. Let me take your bag.” 

Sam hands her gym bag off to Kara, who hoists it up onto her shoulder as they slowly make their way to their bedroom.

“Oh, I know what that means,” Sam says. “That’s code for ‘I really want to play with the new compounds the R&D team just invented.’”

Kara laughs. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Is Ruby off at her friend’s house?”

“Yup, they’re really powering through that group project. She’s sleeping over there, too.”

“That’s a choice. A true test of friendship.”

“More importantly, that means we have all night to think about having sex while we’re actually all falling asleep instead.” 

Kara grins at that and playfully smacks Sam’s butt. “Well, I’m feeling pretty awake right now. Do you think Lena will be mad if we start without her?”

“Furious. She called me into her office today to talk about some of our potential acquisitions and she stared at my legs nearly the entire time. She’s debilitatingly horny.”

“Well, you are wearing _that_.” Kara deliberately takes a moment to let her gaze travel up Sam’s long, long legs, perfectly on display thanks to the pencil skirt she’s wearing.

“I am, which reminds me, I desperately want to change. My pair of comfy yoga pants is screaming out my name.”

“Certainly a good choice to stop me from staring at my legs.”

“Whoever said I want you to stop?”

Sam flashes Kara a smile from over her shoulder as she walks into their bedroom. Kara bites her lips, openly admiring the sway of her girlfriend’s hips and the swell of her ass.

“You want some help changing?” Kara calls after her.

“Debilitatingly horny, Kara!” Sam responds back, from the other side of their bedroom door.

Once she’s changed into appropriate loungewear, and after Kara is finished checking her out, they head into the kitchen. Kara pours them both glasses of wine (stemless, naturally, she’s caused enough accidents already), while Sam whips up a quick cheese plate to stave off Kara’s legendary appetite until Lena gets there. They cozy up on the couch, the TV playing in the background, as they talk about their day and steal kisses and pecks and endlessly flirt. Much like with Lena, Kara just feels so free with Sam, free to express her love and her sexuality and every little feeling she has in her heart.

At one point, though, Kara just can’t take it anymore and bunches the front of Sam’s shirt up in her hand and pulls her close, kissing her deeply and passionately. Sam sighs into the kiss, gently looping her arms around Kara’s neck and drawing her in even closer. Kara never wants to leave this moment, hoping for the golden light of the setting sun to turn into amber to preserve them forever.

“Wow, you two _did_ start without me.”

They both look up without a hint of guilt about them as they see Lena walk into the living room, a playfully stern expression on her face.

“We both still have our clothes on,” Sam says. “For us, that’s pretty good.”

“Kara, your hand is still on her boob,” Lena says.

Kara looks down to see that is, in fact, the case. Very pointedly, she leaves it there, which makes Sam laugh. “I see nothing wrong with this.”

“You two are hopeless. Let me change out of these awful work clothes and then we can order some dinner.”

“Do you want any help?” Kara and Sam both ask, at nearly the same time.

“No!”

Once they hear the bedroom door shut, they look at one another for a moment. And then they start making out again. Lena walks out just as Sam sticks her tongue in Kara’s mouth, prompting an exceptionally loud moan.

“Guys.”

Kara and Sam once again both look up at her.

“She started it,” Kara says.

“No way, you definitely started it. If you weren’t so impossibly attractive I wouldn’t be so interested in kissing you.”

“Guys, please,” Lena says. “Can we order some food? I’m starving.”

“That does sound great. All Sam gave me to eat was cheese,” Kara says.

“And fancy multigrain crackers, I’m not a monster.”

“Yeah, but that won’t come close to sating my hunger. Can we get some Vietnamese food? I want at least three banh mi.”

“Lovely. Any objections from the peanut gallery?” Lena asks, looking pointedly at Sam.

“So rude of you, my love,” Sam says. “I’m fine with that, as long as we order something with vegetables in it.”

“There are plenty of vegetables in banh mi!”

“Kara, c’mon,” Sam says.

“Great,” Lena says. “Being the adult in the room, I’ll order.”

“Need I remind you that you’re the baby in the group?” Sam asks.

“Be nice to the person getting you dinner,” Lena smiles sweetly.

Sam stands up and wraps Lena in a tight hug. “You’re my favorite. Don’t tell Kara.”

Kara also joins in on the hug, squishing her two girlfriends as much as she can. “Don’t worry, you’re Kara’s favorite, too.”

“You’re too much,” Lena says, feigning protest, but the blush on her cheeks and her delighted smile say otherwise. 

“We got her,” Kara says, looking past Lena to Sam. “She’s blushing.”

“Mission accomplished,” Sam says. “Also, can we use our L-Corp connections to make our food arrive faster? I’m really starving, too.”

“I already put the order in, so you’re just going to have to wait like a normal person, Arias,” Lena says.

Thankfully, their food doesn’t take long to arrive, though Kara does tear through an entire bag of beef jerky in the meantime. They sit down at the dining room table, the last vestiges of sunlight filtering in through the floor-to-ceiling windows and setting the clean, modern architecture of their shared penthouse alight in deep oranges and reds.

“Hey, can I be sappy for a moment?” Sam asks.

“Honey, I think you know my stance on sappiness pretty well by now,” Kara says, smiling.

Sam ducks her head, a pleased smile on her face, as Lena reaches out and squeezes her upper arm.

“I guess I do. I just wanted to say that I’m so happy that we all found one another and that we figured this whole thing out. Just a year ago I never would’ve imagined that I’d be entering a relationship with two incredible women, and look at us now.”

Kara threads her fingers through Sam’s and gives her hand a quick squeeze. Sam smiles gratefully at her.

“It just blows my mind,” Sam continues. “There were moments where I thought that I – I wouldn’t be enough for Ruby, but now I know I have you two to support me. It’s just incredible.”

“We’re here for you, Sam,” Lena says. “We’ll always be by your side, and Ruby’s.”

“Yeah, that little munchkin has really wormed her way into our hearts. We’re sticking with you, through thick and thin.”

“Thanks so much, guys,” Sam says. “I love you both very much.”

“We love you too, Sam,” Kara says.

“Absolutely we do,” Lena says.

Sam lets all of this love and affection wash over her for a moment, suffusing her with such a warmth and joy that she feels ready to burst. A sort of giddiness comes over her that reminds her of how it felt once they really started to figure everything out.

“Hey, on a lighter note, do you guys remember all of the drama we had to go through to get to this point?” Sam asks. “What a mess that was.”

“That was quite an experience,” Lena says. “I can’t believe you got together with Kara before me. Me! The person who’s had a crush on her since day one!”

“You had a crush on me since day one, too,” Sam says, grinning. “Though I could never tell. I honestly wasn’t sure if you liked me half of the time.” 

Kara can’t help but laugh and Lena just pouts. “Mean.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” Sam says. “You just like to play things a little too close to the chest.”

Lena sighs dramatically. “Well, I’m glad you figured it out eventually.”

“We certainly did,” Kara says. 

* * *

_Present day_

Lena introduces Kara to Sam, and it's all over from there.

Kara finds Sam to be, simply put, quite fascinating in her multitudes. She’s a caring, loving mother, a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense CFO (she’s heard people around L-Corp call her the “sweetest shark you’ll ever meet”), and clearly a good friend of Lena’s. And, on top of that, if Kara’s being totally honest with herself, Sam is gorgeous, too. She feels like she can appreciate Sam’s beauty in a sort of objective sense, like she could with Lucy.

All of this means that, of course, Kara desperately wants to become friends with her. She doesn’t want to just become acquaintances or have them learn to tolerate one another for Lena’s sake, she wants them to be real, honest-to-god friends. As always, Kara can’t think of any better way to start a friendship than to share a meal. Which is why she finds herself leaning against the doorway to Sam’s office, a list of nearby restaurants open on her phone.

“Kara,” Sam greets, smiling, though it doesn’t quite meet her eyes – a business smile, exactly what Kara wants to grow beyond. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Your assistant – great dude, by the way – tells me that you conveniently have a whole hour free right at noon. Want to grab lunch?”

“This is off the record, right? I just had a reporter sniffing around the offices and he was a pain to deal with.”

“Completely off the record, we’re just getting lunch together as friends. Though if you want me to write a scathing article about that annoying reporter, I’d be happy to.”

Sam laughs, and Kara counts that as a win.

“You know what? Let’s do it,” Sam says, standing up. “Unlike Lena, you’ll find that I actually enjoy leaving the office every now and again.” 

“That’s good to hear. I had to convince Lena not to convert that one conference room by her office into a bedroom.”

Sam just shakes her head. “I love Lena, but she can be crazy sometimes. That’s like in college when I had to stop her from bringing a sleeping bag down to the engineering labs. So, where are we going, Danvers?”

Sam grabs a baseball cap from the coat hooks on the door to her office and jams it onto her head, its casual flair clashing pleasantly with her sharp business clothing. Kara is struck by just how pretty Sam is for a moment, and it takes her a moment to find her voice again.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Kara says, as they slowly make their way to the elevator. “I have a couple of options. There’s a good vegan restaurant pretty close by, if you’re as dedicated to salad as Lena is, a really fun Uzbeki place literally a block away, and if you really don’t care about that blazer that I can only assume costs as more than my entire outfit, there’s an incredible barbecue place that just opened up in the building over.”

“I’m a risk-taker, Kara,” Sam says. “Let’s go with barbecue.”

Kara beams at her. She likes her already.

* * *

“You’re eating all of that for lunch?” Sam asks.

Kara looks down at her plate of food, which is piled high with brisket and accompanied by a side of cornbread and baked beans.

“Yeah, let’s say I’m bulking?” Kara answers.

“Is that a question?”

“I just really like food,” Kara says, somewhat bashfully.

Sam just shrugs. “Respect. You must work out a lot.”

“Yeah, I do. I did, like, all of the sports in college, so I’ve at least kept up with staying in shape. It’s fun, and if I have a really hard day at work, I can just go to town on a punching bag.”

Sam raises an eyebrow at that. “No kidding? I know we just met, but I have to say, it’s hard imagining you taking your frustrations out like that.”

“It really works! It’s very cathartic. And, look, I know I have the whole ‘Sunny’ Danvers reputation, but I get pissed off, too. Especially working with Snapper Carr as my boss, goodness.”

“Yeah, I think I know how you feel. I’ve spoken to that man once. Once.”

“I take it that didn’t go well?”

“Let’s just say that he knows who’s signing off on his paychecks.”

Sam says this with such imperiousness that it only makes it funnier when she, moments later, bites into her pulled-pork sandwich and sauce dribbles down her chin. Kara can’t help but laugh.

“Sorry,” Kara says. “That was just incredible timing.”

“You laughing at me, Danvers?”

“I’m laughing with you, Arias.”

Sam cracks a grin at that. “Good answer.”

It’s in that moment Kara decides that, yeah, she does really like Sam. She can only hope that Sam likes her, too.

* * *

(Sam does like her, too.)

* * *

“So, after he pushed me into the pool, I decided to swim an entire lap just to show off and when I make it back over to him, I splashed him with as much water as I could,” Kara says, grinning. “Needless to say, we both got kicked out of mathletes.” 

Sam and Lena both burst out laughing, drawing the attention of some of the other patrons in the bar.

“Wow, what a turn,” Sam says. “You had a weird high school experience, Kara.”

“Seriously,” Lena says. “At my boarding school it was all political intrigue and backstabbing and sex and way, way too much cocaine. So boring.”

Sam and Kara just stare at one another for a moment, before staring at Lena.

“How could you possibly think that’s boring?” Kara asks, bewildered.

“We’ve known each other for how long and you haven’t told me any stories about your boarding school days?” Sam says.

“Oh, it’s really nothing. This was one of the tamer boarding schools, and – oh, excuse me,” Lena says, as her phone goes off. She glances down at the number before smiling apologetically at Kara and Sam. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this. CEO stuff.”

“No problem,” Kara says.

“Make that money, sister,” Sam says.

“Thanks,” Lena says. “You two will be okay with each other, right?”

“Lena, answer your damn phone before they think you’re ignoring them,” Sam says. “We’ll be fine.”

Lena gives them one last apologetic glance before picking up her phone and swiftly exiting the bar to find a quiet spot to hold her conversation.

“Oh no, our mutual friend has left us alone,” Kara says. “Whatever will we talk about?”

“I have no idea!” Sam says. “Our social interactions are always so awkward!”

They stare at each other for barely a second before they both start laughing.

“That was a good one,” Kara says, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “Hey, how’s Ruby’s soccer team doing?”

“Incredibly! My little girl has a killer instinct out on the field. I’m so proud,” Sam says, hand to heart.

“You’re terrifying. I respect that.”

“Oh, am I?” Sam asks, leaning in a little closer. “Are you scared right now, Danvers?”

Though Kara’s heart is hammering in her chest at their sudden proximity, and though it feels as if they’re now the only two people in the bar (she doesn’t have the time to unpack all of that right now), she just raises an eyebrow, staring defiantly back at Sam. Kara knows she’s not usually like this, given how prone to stammering and quick to getting flustered she is, but Sam just brings this side out of her. It fascinates and terrifies her in equal measure.

“Should I be?” Kara asks, playfully.

“Good answer,” Sam says.

Their conversation flows easily, and Kara is more thankful than ever that she started grabbing lunch with Sam whenever they could find some time. When Lena does come back, a dozen apologies waiting on the tip of her tongue, she sees Sam and Kara laughing uproariously at something. They’re sitting angled towards one another, away from the bartender and all of the other patrons, lost in their own little world. And, their knees are touching. Lena feels her stomach churning. 

“Lena!” Sam says, finally tearing her attention away from Kara. “What’s the damage? Is our company still afloat?”

“Well, our more irritating board members will be furious that I’ve put the final nail in the coffin of our weapons division,” Lena says, managing a smile. “But, yes, you will still have a job after this weekend, Sam.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Sam says. “Work is the only way I get to see your pretty face every day, Lena.”

“You’re so sweet,” Lena says dryly. “So, it seems as if you two are getting along well.”

Kara and Sam exchange a glance.

“Well, yeah, I would hope so,” Sam says. “We’ve been grabbing lunch together when we can.”

“We’ve been trying to invite you!” Kara is quick to say. “You’re just always, y’know, busy. Jess is very adamant about that.”

Lena sighs dramatically, trying her best to hide her excitement over Kara’s enthusiasm to include her. “Yes, she is, tragically, very good at her job. I’ll have to carve out some time to join you. I’d hate for you to have all the fun.”

“Exactly!” Kara says excitedly, reaching out and grabbing Lena’s hands. “We have to spend more time together. We can be like the all-women three musketeers. Hmm, wait, what famous female trios are there?”

“Sleater-Kinney,” Sam throws out immediately.

“Charlie’s Angels?” Lena adds in.

“Ooh, and Destiny’s Child!” Kara says. “Okay, wait, I guess there are a lot. There’s TLC, too, and…”

* * *

If someone were to write out a transcript of Sam’s current internal monologue, it would just be the word “fuck” in all-caps. This awful meeting they’re in, where a small contingent of board members are desperately arguing against Lena’s proposed green energy initiatives, has managed to go two full hours past its scheduled time. Sam was supposed to leave to pick Ruby up from school thirty minutes ago. Normally it wouldn’t be too big of a deal, since Ruby is preternaturally understanding for a teenager, but she had a huge test today that was really stressing her out and Sam wants to be there for her.

“Gentlemen, how much longer is this going to take?” Sam finally asks, staring pointedly at the men responsible for her being kept away from her daughter.

“We have to figure this out now!” an awful, wiry, pink-faced man bloviates. “The end of the fiscal year is almost upon us, and if we’re going to force ourselves to take on these green initiatives, we’re going to have to be serious about finalizing the budget.”

 _You’re going to die before the climate crisis gets bad enough for you to care about_ _, so you’re useless in this conversation_ , Sam thinks and nearly says out loud, but doesn’t.

“Fine,” Sam says. “Let me pull up some data, since you’re only ever impressed by spreadsheets.”

Lena flashes her a sympathetic look as she angrily pulls out her laptop. Before she can dive into her mountains of data, she quickly pulls up her messaging app to find someone to pick up Ruby in her stead. Her contact list is awfully thin, and there’s basically only one option who actually lives in the city.

Kara.

 _Hey, I’m really sorry about this. Can you pick up Ruby from school? I’d really appreciate it_.

As soon as she sends the message, she feels extremely foolish. She’s almost friends with Kara, maybe, but it certainly doesn’t feel like they have the kind of relationship where Kara would be picking up her daughter from school. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Kara, it’s more that she doesn’t want to inconvenience her. Ruby and Kara have only met once before, on top of everything else.

As she waits for Kara to respond, she quickly pulls up a spreadsheet and throws it up on the projector screen.

“We’ve conducted an extensive cost-benefit analysis of these green programs,” Sam says. “I’ve highlighted the obvious benefits we’d get at one, five, and even twenty years out. Lena, would you mind expanding upon this?”

“Certainly,” Lena says. “Green programs are our future. As you can see, investing in our future results in…”

Sam turns her attention back to her laptop screen, where she’s surprised to find that Kara has already responded.

_I’d love to!!! Ruby and I are going to be best friends, just you wait. Just text me the address and I’ll be there right away!_

This message is followed by about twenty emojis that Sam can’t even begin to decipher the meaning of. It’s so cute that she has to cover up her smile with her hand, and quickly texts the address and an exuberant thank you back to Kara. She also quickly texts Ruby.

_Hey, munchkin. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, but Kara is going to pick you up from school today._

Ruby, who’s probably just gotten out of classes, quickly responds.

_No problem!_

_Kara is cool_

_She has to finish telling me the story about how she almost met CRJ, too_

Sam lets out a sigh of relief. Ruby will be in good hands.

* * *

When Sam finally gets out of the meeting, after she and Lena have successfully eviscerated the absolutely fools on the board, she drives off to where Kara told her to meet them. It’s at a local burger place, unsurprisingly, and she finds the two of them sitting on the roof of Kara’s car.

“Arias!” Kara greets cheerfully. “We saved one for you.”

“Kara really wanted to eat it, but she didn’t!” Ruby adds in.

Kara reaches into the greasy, paper bag perched on the roof of her car and tosses a burger wrapped in foil at Sam, who catches it easily with one hand. If she’s being honest with herself, Sam really enjoys the impressed look that Kara gives her at that.

“She did, huh?” Sam asks, smiling. “How nice of her.”

“Lena texted me too and said that you were stuck in the world’s worst meeting,” Kara says. “Burgers always make me feel better.”

Sam peels away the layers of foil and nearly moans out loud at the sight of the cheesy, double-patty monstrosity in her hands. She takes a hearty bite.

“Can’t disagree with that, Danvers,” Sam says, between bites. “This burger is incredible, I’ve never been here before.”

“Kara has been to all of the burger restaurants in the city!” Ruby says excitedly. “We have to try them all, mom, they sound so good. She’s ranked them all, so it’ll be easy to pick and choose which ones to go to first.”

Kara blushes but looks exceptionally pleased by Ruby’s enthusiasm, and Sam feels absolutely delighted.

“Well, that sounds like a good adventure,” Sam says, mussing up Ruby’s hair with her free hand. “Where does this place rank?”

“Number three, actually, this place is super good,” Kara says. “My only knock against them is that their fries aren’t quite as crispy as numbers one and two, but that’s a small flaw.”

Sam laughs. “I love how into food you are.”

“We can get burgers with Kara, mom! She’ll teach us all their secrets,” Ruby says.

Sam’s smile grows even wider. Ruby’s a sweet kid, sure, especially for a teenager, but even she doesn’t usually warm up to adults this quickly. Kara really is something special.

“Well, I’m down for it,” Sam says, before turning her gaze to Kara. “Danvers?”

“Oh, getting burgers with two of my favorite people in the world? I’m so in.”

Kara and Sam just smile at each other for an extended beat, before Kara looks away, bashful, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Sam just chuckles before taking another bite of her burger.

“So, Rubes, how did that big test go?” Sam asks.

“Eh, not bad,” Ruby says, shrugging. “I had time to double-check all of my answers, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Always good to double-check your answers,” Sam says. “I’m sure you did great.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” Ruby says. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

Their conversation flows easily as Sam finishes up her food. Already she feels as if the stress from the day – and she had been holding on to a lot of stress – has already melted away. She wonders if this is perhaps Kara’s superpower: getting overworked businesswomen to just relax, for once. It’s a good one, in any case.

“Alright, kiddo, I think we should head home,” Sam says. “Go get in the car and grab the aux cord, it’s your turn for music.”

Ruby’s face lights up and she practically sprints towards Sam’s luxury sedan, leaving just Kara and Sam in the parking lot.

“Hey, thanks again for picking her up,” Sam says. “I really appreciate that.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. Ruby’s school is super close to CatCo, anyway,” Kara says. “Besides, she’s great. We didn’t just talk about burgers, too. We ended up talking a lot about biology, since that’s what her test was in and I majored in that in college. I like to think I helped her appreciate the subject just a little bit more.”

“That’s so nice of you, Kara. And, wait, you majored in biology?”

Kara shrugs. “I double-majored in biology and communications, and minored in sociology. I wanted to do everything.”

Sam chuckles, wholly unsurprised that Kara has the degrees to back up her obvious smarts. “Well, seems like you succeeded there. You’re very impressive, Kara.”

Kara smiles at her again and Sam gets lost in it. She wants to stay in this moment forever, even though they’re in the parking lot of some burger place in National City. The sun is setting, suffusing even this place with some sort of magic, and Kara herself seems to glow beneath the orange and red and pink light.

“Hey, get dinner with me,” Sam says. “If you want. This Saturday. Consider it a thank you for picking Ruby up. And for this delicious burger.”

Kara smiles, once again messing with her hair.

“I – I would love that, sure,” Kara says. “Let’s do it.”

Sam smiles back at her, feeling suffused with a warmth that can’t be explained away by the National City sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think? I love kudos! And comments!!! 
> 
> I'm going to try and update this weekly!


	2. Get You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I'm back with another chapter! The chapter title is yet another Daniel Caesar reference!!!

Kara can’t help but look down at her phone again.

Sam❤️: _I’ve got reservations at 7! I’ll see you then!_

It’s not even five o’clock yet, but she’s already stressing about what to wear. She has clothes strewn across her bed, a row of shirts above a row of pants. Not only does she feel no closer to deciding on what to wear, she doesn’t even know why she’s so stressed out about this to begin with. It’s just a dinner with a friend, right? She’s certainly done that before.

It gets so bad that Kara realizes she’s never going to come to a conclusion on her own, so she calls Alex.

“Hey, are you doing anything?” Kara asks.

“Hello to you too, my lovely sister,” Alex says sardonically. “I’m going out with Maggie, but not until later. What’s up?

“Oh, sorry,” Kara says, rubbing the back of her neck. “You know, it’s really not that big of a deal. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“I said ‘later,’ Kara, I’m not seeing Maggie until ‘later.’ I’m just hanging out in my apartment right now. What do you need?”

Kara exhales audibly. “Well, I’m getting dinner with Sam tonight, and we’re going to this sorta hip oyster/seafood restaurant. I don’t know what to wear.”

“C’mon, Kara, this is what you’re worried about? What you’re going to wear to dinner with your friend?”

“Yes! Now help me, c’mon, I don’t want to think about this anymore.”

A deep, tinny sigh comes through the phone’s speaker, and Kara can’t help but laugh. Alex is so funny when she’s pretending to be annoyed.

“Alright, fine. Hip seafood place, huh? Wear that new aloha shirt that Maggie got you for your birthday. And a pair of skinny jeans. And you have suede loafers, right? Wear those. Or really clean sneakers – oh, wait, you don’t know how to take care of your sneakers. Wear the loafers.”

Kara huffs, annoyed at that accusation, but otherwise, Alex’s advice is really good.

“Thanks! I’ll do all of that. Enjoy your date with Maggie.”

“Enjoy your date with the CFO of L-Corp.”

“Hey, it’s not a – oh, she hung up.”

Kara sighs and tosses her phone onto her bed. She puts on everything that Alex told her to and inspects herself in the mirror. She finds that she does really look good, the shirt in particular accentuating her broad shoulders and the musculature of her arms.

“Huh, not bad,” Kara says. “Alex got way better with fashion since coming out. I wonder why that is.”

* * *

For whatever reason, Kara feels exceptionally nervous as she waits for Sam outside of the restaurant, which seems in person even hipper and fancier than it did in pictures. Unbidden, her mind flashes back to the last date she was on, which would’ve been with Mike (of the interns, a huge mistake, in retrospect). She was nervous then, too, but mostly because she realized just before the date began that she wouldn’t have anything to talk about with Mike, a prediction that ended up being entirely true. Now, though, she’s not entirely sure why she’s so nervous.

This is just a dinner. Between friends. But Kara begins to wonder if that’s all she really wants. Kara has identified as bisexual for years now, but for one reason or another, she hasn’t ever gone on even a date with a woman before. She wonders what it would be like, what it would feel like in the desperate moments right before it begins.

She wonders if it would feel like this.

“Kara?”

Before she can continue that train of thought, she turns around to see Sam standing there, and her breath catches in her throat. She’s dressed more casually than she normally is, which somehow serves to make her even more stunning. Her outfit is just a lightweight cotton button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of light-wash skinny jeans, but the simplicity allows Sam’s naturally beauty to shine through. Kara finds herself smiling as she drinks in the beauty of her – friend. Her friend.

“Sam,” Kara says with more reverence than she had intended.

“Kara. I hope you weren’t waiting long. Had some drama work drama before I left, of course. Shall we?”

“Of course,” Kara says, holding the door open for her. “Work drama? On a Saturday?”

“Yeah, the life and times of a CFO,” Sam says, before turning to the hostess. “Table for two, under Samantha Arias.”

“Right this way, Ms. Arias.”

“It turns out that old, greedy, intellectually vapid old men really don’t like investing in green energy,” Sam says, as the hostess leads them to their table. “Who would’ve thought?”

“Yeah, that famously never happens,” Kara says, before smiling at their hostess. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Your server will be right with you.”

Kara watches her leave, impressed. “Great service here.”

Sam smiles conspiratorially at her and leans in a little closer. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”

“I love secrets.”

“Lena and I own this place.”

Kara can feel her eyes widen comically and her mouth drop open, and she can do nothing to stop herself.

“You own this – ” she starts, before realizing how loud she’s being and dropping her voice down to an equally conspiratorial whisper. “You own this place?” 

“Yeah, it turns out you can pool a lot of money between a CEO and CFO,” Sam says, grinning. “This is our way of proving to ourselves that we can make a business completely eco-friendly and sustainable. It’s not cheap and the profit margin, well, basically doesn’t exist, but on the other hand, we can say we have the best seafood around.”

Kara can’t even find her voice to begin to respond to that. Sam immediately notices the change in her demeanor, and she furrows her brow.

“Sorry, was that a bit much?” Sam asks.

“No, this is totally cool. I can’t say I’ve ever met any restauranteurs before.”

“Well, I’m happy to be your first,” Sam smirks at her, back to her normal bluster. “I’ll be honest – I was trying to impress you. Just a little bit.”

“Sam, honestly, you’re already one of the most impressive people that I know,” Kara says earnestly, also wondering if Sam is as nervous as she is. “This is all just icing. Honestly.”

“Thanks, Kara. You already know that I think you’re very impressive, too.”

Kara smiles and ducks her head, idly brushing an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

“You’re too sweet. Hey, would you find me even more impressive if I also owned a restaurant?”

Sam laughs and Kara feels a little thrill of accomplishment at that. She always wants to be able to make Sam laugh.

“Maybe you could buy your #1 burger joint in National City,” Sam says, grinning at her.

“Oh, that would be the dream. Though my #1 place is a locally owned and family-run, so it would be weird to take it over.”

“You could just marry into the family. That would be a very medieval way to get yourself into the business.”

This time it’s Kara’s turn to laugh. “Right, did they teach you that at the Gateway City School of Business?” 

“Surprisingly, no, but I wouldn’t put it past some of my classmates to try that. Never go to business school, Kara, it’s turned me into the monster you see before you.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe that you grew up to become a great mother who wants to protect the environment so badly you bought an entire restaurant with your best friend. Truly despicable.”

Sam smiles at her. “Between me and Lena’s _Luthor_ _genes_ , what choice did we have?”

* * *

Their food comes quickly as well, yet another perk of dining with one of the owners, and Kara really starts to consider buying a burger joint. Everything looks delicious and tastes even better, and Kara honestly moans as she takes her first bite. She’s so enraptured by the delicate yet delectable taste of the fish she doesn’t even notice the blush on Sam’s cheeks.

“Wow, this is incredible,” Kara says, once she’s done chewing.

“Not bad, yeah? I’m glad to see my investment is paying off.”

“I mean, it’s not as good as the fish and chips from that pub on fifth. But it’s alright.”

“So rude, Danvers. So rude.”

* * *

Kara leans back in her chair and pushes her completely spotless plate away from her.

“Oh man, I love eating. Eating really is the best.”

Sam laughs. “I assume that means you also want dessert?”

“Dessert! Are you kidding me? Dessert’s the best part of the meal!”

Sam smiles fondly at her before flagging down their waiter, who’s quick to come to their table. Surprisingly, Kara manages to limit herself to just two desserts – a mandarin orange panna cotta and a crème brulee, both of which she agrees to share with Sam. And when Kara feeds her a bite of both desserts, mixed together on the same spoon, Sam just about swoons.

* * *

The sun is setting time they leave the restaurant, leaving behind a thin sliver of orange light pooled up on the horizon line and a fading blue sky that gradates into a growing tapestry stars against a purple background. Kara marvels at the sky for a moment, her hands shoved comfortable in the pockets of her jeans. Sam doesn’t take her eyes off of her.

“I had a really good time tonight, Kara,” Sam says. “Thanks for coming out with me. I don’t really get out a lot.”

“It was my pleasure!” Kara says. “It was really great hanging out with you like this. Plus, I basically always enjoy eating.”

Sam laughs, taking a tentative half-step closer to her and gently squeezing her upper arm. “Yeah, I figured. We’ll have to do this again.”

“I’d love to.”

A joke about Sam secretly owning more restaurants dies on Kara’s tongue when she sees just how beautiful her friend looks, illuminated softly by the buzzing streetlamps and few last breaths of light from the setting sun. Sam seems to just be as lost in the moment.

“I’ll carve out some time for us,” Sam says finally, voice softer than before.

“Good.”

* * *

When Kara gets back to her apartment, her heart is still pounding and she feels awash with emotions. She tries to purge them all in the shower, but when she curls up beneath her sheets, soft with moonlight, there’s still a yearning in her heart that refuses to leave.

* * *

Sam is enjoying a rare glass of wine on a weeknight with Ruby having gone to bed early, for once, when someone knocks on her door. She furrows her brow – they live in an apartment building with a doorman, so they don’t get any random visitors. It has to be either Lena, unlikely, or…

“Kara,” Sam greets, as she opens the door. “What brings you here?”

“Sam, I have extremely important news. There’s a build-your-own milkshake place that’s having its soft opening, and we need to be there right now.”

Sam just stares at her for a moment, long enough for her to start squirming.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes! We need to go!”

“Putting the necessity of getting milkshakes at this hour aside, why me? I mean, I’m an excellent companion to take milkshake-drinking, but what about your other friends? Your sister isn’t free?”

Kara sighs dramatically, shaking her head. “No, she’s off being a good girlfriend to Maggie. Winn is locked into some kind of Magic tournament, James refuses to get milkshakes after The Incident, Lena is still working, somehow, Vasquez left me on read, and, still, nobody even knows where Lucy is. So, it has to be you.”

“It has to, huh?” Sam asked, clearly amused.

“Exactly! Oh, Ruby will be okay, right?” Kara asks, showing reluctance for the very first time in this conversation, and Sam softens at the sight of it.

“Yes, she’ll be fine. She just went to bed, actually, though I’ll text her to let her know that I’m going to be out.”

Kara’s entire being seems to light up and Sam starts to think she’s literally vibrating. It’s adorable.

“You’re going to come with me?”

“Don’t act so surprised, Danvers. I can have a sweet tooth too, from time to time.”

Sam quickly glances down at herself. Kara is delighted to see how comfortable she looks, dressed in a band-tee (Sleater-Kinney, naturally), and a pair of form-fitting sweatpants that somehow cover the entire length of her mile-long legs. 

“Oh no,” Sam says. “Are you going to make me go out like this?”

“Just throw on a jacket or something. You look better than basically everyone else anyway.”

Sam bumps shoulders with her. “You flatter me.”

Kara just shrugs. “I only speak the truth. Now, c’mon, that line isn’t getting any shorter.”

“There’s a line?” Sam asks, sounding horribly offended, as she pulls on a light jacket and shoves a baseball cap on her head.

“Hey, it won’t be that bad. You should’ve seen it when I tried to go during my lunch break.”

* * *

The pair sits on the curb just outside of the crowded shop, letting the intermingled conversations of the patrons and the warm light through the windows wash over them. Kara looks at Sam and smiles, wondering if this could be her life – going out at night with pretty girls to see what the city has to offer them. She holds her milkshake out wordlessly to Sam, who wraps her lips around the straw, her eyes never leaving Kara’s.

* * *

It’s another successful game night at Kara’s apartment.

The usual shenanigans happen – Winn and James get into a heated argument over an action movie no one else has seen, Lena nearly drinks the entire bottle of wine that she herself has brought, Alex and Maggie are for one moment furious over the outcome of a game of Risk and are making out in the bathroom the next, and Kara eats what some people have described as “a threatening amount of pizza.”

The latest addition to this dynamic is Sam. She’s been friends with Kara for a few months already, but this is her first time at game night. A momentous occasion.

Though she charms her way through every encounter, her business school training shining through, she sticks closet to either Lena or Kara for the bulk of the night. Kara certainly doesn’t mind, and she finds herself constantly checking in on her. Sam quickly notices this, and is quick to flash a smile or wink at her, which always elicits a blush.

Lena has to leave first, citing work that needs to be done the next day. Everyone protests, given that tomorrow is Saturday, but she waves off their concerns. There’s something she absolutely needs to do in the L-Corp labs, apparently, and no one is talking her out of that. Kara regards her with open concern and makes a mental note to bring her food, since she won’t eat otherwise and if she brings up this plan out loud, Lena is sure to shoot it down. Alex and Maggie leave next, naturally, needing to find resolution to that quick bathroom make-out session. They all tease the couple as they head out, leaving them pink-faced yet excited as they wait for their rideshare to show up. Winn and James help put away some board games before they too go their separate ways (James likes to go to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour, while Winn is almost certainly going to play video games until sunrise).

That leaves, of course, Sam and Kara, alone in the apartment.

The lighting is dim, having been turned down low so that everyone could focus on the dumb internet videos they all ended up watching on the TV. Now, though, it has the effect of softening Sam’s features, which makes her look younger than she already does, unburdened by the stress of her job and of being a single mother. Kara is unashamed to think that her friend looks stunning (in this and all other contexts), her newly cropped hair framing her face and drawing attention to her sharp jawline and cambered cheekbones.

“You’re staring,” Sam says, breaking the silence.

“I love your haircut,” Kara says. “You look great, by the way.”

Sam simply smiles back at her, completely accustomed to Kara’s often effusive compliments. “Thank you. I don’t really get a lot of nights out, so I kind of went all out. I bought new eyeliner just for tonight.”

Kara laughs. “Of course you did. And, what, did our milkshake run not count as a night out?”

“That wasn’t a night out, that was a hit-and-run.”

“I said I was sorry! Everyone else was busy.”

Sam leans in, a teasing smile on her face.

“What, was I your last choice, Kara?”

Kara looks offended that she herself would ever dare imply that. “Of course not! I just meant that…”

“I get it,” Sam says, squeezing her shoulder. “I’m just teasing you.”

Kara pouts, a dangerous force unto itself. “Mean.”

“I’ll stop teasing you if you make sure I’m the first person you think of for these late-night escapades.”

Though it’s not clear if the innuendo is intended, Kara blushes as if it is. The thought of slipping into bed with Sam at night, her hands roaming her body, lips trailing down to…

“So, do you want to finish off this bottle of wine?” Sam asks, derailing Kara’s train of thought. “It would be a shame to leave just this much.”

She swirls the comically expensive bottle of wine brought by Lena (who said that she just ‘picked it up on the way,’ like it didn’t cost her a hundred dollars and could only be found in one store in National City), revealing a couple of fingers of the chardonnay remaining.

“Are you trying to get me drunk, troublemaker?” Kara asks, knowing full well that human alcohol has no effect on her. 

“Maybe I am. What would you say about that?”

“I’d say pour me a glass and we can get cozy on the couch.”

Sam raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow at that, and only then does Kara hear the flirtatious implications of what she’s just said. But, then again, would that be so bad?

“With pleasure,” Sam says, voice like honey.

She pours Kara a stemless wine glass (enough mistakes have happened for that to be a necessity) and they make their way to the couch. Kara sits down on one end and Sam slyly sits right next to her.

“Cheers,” Kara says, trying to force herself not to be nervous at the other woman’s proximity.

“Cheers,” Sam echoes back, and clinks glasses with her.

Sam nearly knocks back her entire glass of wine while Kara just takes a sip of her own. Kara can’t help but wonder why – is Sam just wine-crazy, like Lena is? Or does she need some liquid courage, for whatever reason? She couldn’t imagine why.

“Can I be sappy with you for a moment?” Sam asks.

“You can always be sappy with me, at any time,” Kara says seriously. “I take sappiness very seriously.”

Sam laughs, her arm slung around the back cushions of the sofa, looking happy and soft and at least a little buzzed. She reaches out and pokes Kara’s shoulder.

“You’re adorable. I just wanted to say that I’m so happy you’re in my life. See? Sappy.” 

Of all things Kara could’ve expected to hear, that certainly wasn’t one of them.

“Oh, I’m so happy that you’re in my life! You’ve been such a good friend.”

Kara notices the way that Sam’s smile fades at ‘friend,’ and she even realizes that doesn’t quite capture the character of her feelings for her. Using any other term, though, seems fraught with risk. 

“You’ve been so great. You’ve been so patient with me and my insanely busy schedule and you’re always so fun to hang out with when we do get some time together,” Sam says, as she draws patterns on Kara’s shoulder. “And, not only that, but you’re really good with Ruby, too. She’s already obsessed with you. She keeps asking when she gets to hang out with you next.”

Kara smiles even more brightly at that. “Really?”

“Really,” Sam affirms. “I’m willing to exploit this to get you to pick her up from school more often.” 

“All you conniving businesswomen, you’re all the same,” Kara says, mock-accusatorily. “You know that I’m going to buy her more junk food to celebrate her hard work.”

“You’re going to spoil her like crazy, aren’t you?”

“I’m her Auntie Kara! It’s my job!”

Sam laughs at that and Kara joins in, happy to be sharing this moment with her. The fall silent for a moment after that, with Sam deep in thought.

“You know, when I moved here, I don’t know what to expect, except for a friend who’s even more of a workaholic than I am,” Sam says. “But here you are. I feel like you’re already so tangled up in my life.”

“There aren’t many other places I’d rather be,” Kara says, shrugging.

Sam shifts even closer to her on the couch, though, and she can feel the intoxicating warmth of her body heat pressed up against her. Now, there’s nowhere to look except for right into Sam’s eyes, and Kara watches her gaze flit down to her lips for just a moment. Kara’s heart is beating in her chest like a drumroll.

“When we grab lunch, even if we only have half an hour together – you don’t even know how much it brightens my day. I always love seeing you, even if we can barely steal any time away,” Sam says. “You’re so wonderful to be around, Kara.”

“I love spending time with you, too.”

Sam nods, a quiet smile on her face. Kara, though she thinks this might be terribly selfish, wonders if Sam smiles like this for anyone else. Maybe she does, and that would be okay, but what a precious thing it would be if she doesn’t.

“But still, I find myself wanting _more_. Maybe I’m greedy,” Sam chuckles, a self-effacing half-grin on her face, her eyes breaking away from Kara’s.

“Greedy?” Kara asks. “I don’t think you’re greedy at all.”

This draws Sam’s gaze back. The implications of the conversation are plainly clear even to Kara, who knows that she often fumbles romantic interactions. ‘Wanting more’ could only mean one thing, in this context, in the low light of the apartment. She knows that right now, the tension is either going to fade out of the room like it never even existing or rise up into a thrilling crescendo.

Sam leans forward and kisses Kara. Crescendo it is.

Sam’s lips are impossibly soft and taste faintly of her fancy, cucumber mint chapstick. Kara whimpers softly and finds herself melting into the kiss, wanting to be lost in it forever. She only hopes this feels half as good for Sam as it does for her.

Kara herself has often intellectualized about what it would be like to kiss another woman, as someone who identifies as bisexual but has never been with a woman. She had thought that, fundamentally, it would be similar to kissing, say, a man, which is what she already has experience with. Wouldn’t the lips be the same? The movement of their tongues?

But, kissing Sam is an utterly novel experience. Kara can feel her mind go blissfully blank in away that it never has during any of her previous kisses, she can only focus on the wonderful sensation of Sam’s lips upon hers and the weight of her body and the faint, needy sounds they’re both making. Kara never wants it to end.

But it does, it has to, and eventually they both pull away, pupils dilated and slightly breathless. They sit there for a moment, gazes locked, starry-eyed and with romance in their hearts.

“Wow,” Kara says, chuckling. “That was…”

“Incredible. Even better than I had expected,” Sam finishes. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’ve been thinking about kissing you for a while now.”

Sam says that so shyly and Kara feels another great surge of affection for the woman. She revels in simply drinking in Sam’s beauty for a moment, but that silence seems to concern Sam, whose face twists up in worry.

“I’m sorry, was that okay?” Sam asks, her voice quiet. “I know this might seem really sudden.”

“No, no, this was more than okay,” Kara says. “I – I’m bisexual, but I’ve only ever been with men. This was great.” 

Sam laughs, a beautiful sound that fills Kara with an incredible sense of joy. “You really are so adorable. I’m honored I could be your first. And that I didn’t turn you off women forever.”

“Oh, you certainly didn’t turn me off,” Kara says.

Sam is stunned by this, clearly not expecting Kara to flirt so effortlessly with her.

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew, Danvers,” Sam says, her voice dangerously husky.

“I know I’m new to all of this, but I’ve been told I’m a fast learner.”

Sam just stares at her, stunned, before leaning forward once more.

“Did you hear that, Kara? I think I just heard you inviting me to stay the night.”

Before her nerves can get the better of her, Kara just nods.

“Great,” Sam says. “Do you want to move this party to…”

She nods towards the closed door of Kara’s bedroom. It’s only right now that Kara realizes just what she’s gotten herself into, a real zero-to-sixty in terms of having experiences with women.

“I’m – Sam, I’m sorry,” Kara says, feeling like she’s just killed the mood. “It’s fun flirting and everything, but I’m not sure I’m quite ready for all that. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Kara,” Sam says, wrapping her arms around her. “That’s completely okay. There’s nothing to be sorry about. We don’t need to rush into things. Besides, I like you for a lot of reasons, not just for the amazing sex I’m sure we’ll have.”

Laughter escapes Kara’s lips, unbidden, and soon Sam is laughing along with her.

“You’re sweet,” Kara says, pulling back from the hug just enough to look into her eyes. “How about I take you out on a date, first? I’ll take you to the aquarium.”

“That sounds perfect,” Sam says. “I’ll force Lena to look after Ruby. It’s the least she can do, that slacker.”

Kara laughs, the idea of Lena being a slacker perhaps the funniest thing she’s heard this evening. “Yeah, put her to work. What else would she be doing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops turns out I love these two a lot
> 
> feedback is always appreciated! kudos/comments literally sustain my lifeforce!!!
> 
> As always, check out my [Tumblr](http://movepastthefeeling.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MPTF_Fics)


	3. Major Minor Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Writing the Sam/Kara relationship has been surprisingly extremely fun, tbh. I might have to write a story dedicated solely to them at some point

The next day, Alex is waiting for Kara in Noonan’s. She’s scrolling idly through her increasingly mind-numbing social media feeds when the blonde in question bumps shoulders with her, a big smile on her face.

“Hey, you,” Alex says. “You’re in a good mood, even more than usual. What’s got you smiling like that?”

“Who,” Kara corrects. “Who’s got me smiling like this?”

Alex raises an eyebrow at that. “You got a hot date or something?”

Kara smiles smugly at her. “Oh, the hottest. I’m taking Sam out to dinner next Friday.”

Alex cocks her head to the side, wondering if her sister is messing with her. When Kara’s smile only grows bigger, her eyes widen and she has to stop her mouth from dropping open in shock.

“Hey, good on you!” Alex says, high-fiving her sister. “Congratulations on your first date with a lady, baby bi.”

Kara snorts. “Do you have to put it that way?”

“You know I do, who would I even be if I didn’t try and embarrass you?”

“You want to embarrass me? How about I describe in excruciating detail how good of a kisser Sam is? You know, we almost had se –”

“Kara, no!” Alex says, covering Kara’s mouth with her hand. “Stop!” 

Kara licks her hand in retaliation, which leaves Alex scowling and wiping her hand off on her pants. “You’re disgusting.”

“Disgustingly head-over-heels for Sam, you mean,” Kara says, grinning.

“You’re such a dweeb. I can’t believe she likes you.” 

* * *

“It’s not bad luck to see you before our date, right?

Sam looks up from her computer to see Kara leaning against the doorway to her office, a bright, playful smile on her face.

“You keep smiling at me at like that and I’ll never refuse you, Ms. Danvers,” Sam says, standing up. “Lunch?”

“Absolutely. A Greek place just opened up a couple of blocks away and I hear good things.”

“That sounds great. Am I going to have to watch you get tzatziki sauce on that gorgeous blouse of yours?”

Kara blushes, though the smile doesn’t leave her face. “I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.”

Sam grins back playfully at her. “I know you will be.”

Sam takes her hand and Kara’s smile somehow grows even brighter. They walk off, fingers interlaced, and head to the elevator.

* * *

Lena’s attention is drawn from her presentation for just a moment as she watches Sam and Kara walk past the conference room, hand-in-hand, smiling like they don’t have a care in the world. A multitude of emotions surges through her. She feels jealous as her crushes, which she thought she had banished to the far corners of her mind, come surging back. She feels thrilled, since she knows so few people who deserve happiness like Sam and Kara do. She feels betrayed, because how have they not told her about their relationship? How has Sam not mentioned her interest in Kara? She feels excited, oddly enough, to see them together, to imagine all of the possibilities of their relationship. She feels overjoyed for Ruby, for whom Kara will doubtlessly be a great presence in her life.

This is all over in far less than a second, as she clicks onto the next slide and smoothly continues her presentation.

* * *

“Hey, Auntie Lena, what are you doing here?”

Sam is tidying up in the kitchen when she hears Ruby answer the door. She furrows her brow, Lena is more of a planner than anyone she knows, and unannounced arrivals to her apartment are more of Kara’s style.

“Lena, hi,” Sam greets. “What brings you here?”

“Oh, I just wanted to talk,” Lena says, though given the look in her eye, Sam knows it’s going to be a serious one.

“Yeah, no problem,” Sam says. “Come on in. Hey, Rubes, why don’t you finish up that math homework of yours.”

Ruby sighs but seems to sense that there’s something serious going on between her mom and Lena, so she does as she’s told.

“I’m blasting music as I do it, though,” she says over her shoulder.

“Just shut your door if you do, you punk,” Sam says, a smile on her face.

She hears the door to Ruby’s room click shut, before the muffled sounds of Rage Against the Machine drift out into the living room. Alex has certainly had a strange influence on her music tastes.

“Sorry about that,” Sam says, knowing there’s nothing to actually apologize for. “Do you want anything to eat? Drink?”

“I’m fine,” Lena says, taking a seat at the island in the kitchen.

“Great,” Sam says, sitting next to her. “What did you want to talk about?” 

“So, you and Kara,” Lena says, always one to cut to the chase. “What’s going on there?”

Sam smiles fondly just from hearing Kara’s name. “We have a date this weekend.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Lena says quick – perhaps too quickly – and manages to smile. “Honestly. It’s just – I’m surprised. You didn’t tell me about your interest in Kara.”

“I’ll be honest, I fell for her pretty quickly,” Sam says. “It felt like one day you were introducing me to her, and the next I was kissing her in her apartment.”

“Kissing her?” Lena asks, raising an eyebrow. 

Sam just shrugs. “It felt like the right moment, and you know me. I like to cut to the chase.”

“That you do.”

“Besides, she was flirting with me, too.”

Of all things Lena thought Sam might say, that’s certainly not one of them. Kara? Flirting? Lena remembers her near-constant attempts to flirt with Kara – at one point, she even started wearing tighter, more revealing clothing every time she knew she would see her in person. She ate donuts for Kara, for goodness’s sake! And, after all that, Sam ends up being the one Kara flirts back with?

“Is that so?” Lena asks, keeping her voice neutral. She can’t help but be frustrated, even though she knows how unfair it is. Kara and Sam are her friends, her two closest friends in the world, in fact. She should be happy that they’re together. Right?

“Lena, what’s wrong?” Sam asks.

Lena bites back a sigh. Of course Sam, her oldest and closest friend, would know when she’s trying to hide something. This isn’t a conversation she wants to have right now, though, and she begins to wonder why she ever came over in the first place.

“Well, I don’t think that Wayne Enterprises is as enthusiastic about our joint venture into renewables as I am,” Lena says, a wry smile on her face, as she tries to derail the conversation that she herself had started.

Sam scoffs. “When have you ever been worried about Wayne Enterprises?”

“Ever since a protestor stopped me and asked about L-Corp’s commitment to green energy and I didn’t have a good answer,” Lena says, doubling-down on deflecting. “Sam, I’m really happy for you. Just let me in on all the gory details of your love life, yeah? I don’t watch reality TV, so you’re going to have to do.”

Sam laughs, though she knows that’s not why Lena’s upset. She wouldn’t have shown up at her apartment if she were just upset about not being kept in the loop. But, Sam knows that there are times to push Lena and there are times to give her space. This is a time for the latter.

“How in depth do you want me to be?” Sam asks. “Do you want basic synopses of our dates or Sapphic descriptions of the way she makes me feel when we kiss?”

Lena smiles at her, burying her feelings as far down as they can possibly go.

“I can work with synopses. Besides, you’re not much of a poet.”

“You wound me, Luthor. Hey, you want to grab lunch tomorrow?”

“Yes, let’s. If you meet me in my office we can carve out twenty minutes before I have to convince Bruce Wayne that there are existential threats besides not being able to date two women at once.”

* * *

“Dress or jeans?”

“Hello to you too, beloved sister,” Alex greets sardonically as she cradles her phone against her neck. “I’m cooking and talking right now, so if I drop my new phone into the wok I’m blaming you.”

“I’m sorry,” Kara says. “Look, I’m freaking out about this date. Should I wear that blue dress that everyone says brings out my eyes or wear one of my oxford button-downs tucked into that pair of jeans that makes my butt look really good?”

“How much do you want Sam staring at your butt?”

The line is silent for a moment as Kara apparently really considers her answer. Alex drops some more veggies into the wok, the sound of sizzling music to her ears.

“I’m not opposed to that,” Kara finally says.

“Wear the jeans. You’ll look gayer that way, anyway. Wear those new fancy sandals you got, too.” 

“Ooh, good call, those are super cute. Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! 

“You know I got your back. Now go and sweep her off her feet. I expect all of the G-rated details tomorrow.”

“Oh, you don’t want to hear if Sam really _appreciates_ my b…”

Alex hangs up.

* * *

Kara is waiting outside of the National City Aquarium for Sam to show up, trying her hardest to look cool and collected and not like she’s nervous out of her mind. She knows that, logically, she has nothing to worry about, since she already has a great friendship with Sam no matter what and they’ve made out, but this is the ever-important _first dates_. First dates always mean something.

Kara’s about to pull out her phone to distract herself with when she sees Sam walking up, and she is stunning. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the Sam’s long legs, which are perfectly shown off by the black skinny jeans she’s wearing. Her gaze slowly travels up, and she drinks in the sight of Sam wearing a gorgeous suede biker jacket which almost certainly costs more than her rent. Sam smiles at her, and Kara would do anything to be able to coax that smile out of her at all times.

“Hey, Kara,” Sam greets. “You look great.”

Kara’s surprised to see a dusting of pink on Sam’s cheeks – is it possible that the always calm and collected Samantha Arias is just as nervous as she is? She can’t help but wonder, now.

“You do too,” Kara says. “That jacket looks great on you.”

Sam looks down at herself and smooths the lapels of her jacket. “Thanks, I’ll admit it that I got it just for tonight. I don’t have much reason to buy anything that’s not for work.”

“Well, now that we’re officially dating, I plan on taking you out on the town, Ms. Arias,” Kara says, a bright smile on her face. “You have a lot of new jackets in your future.

Sam laughs. “Sounds like a plan, Danvers.”

“So, shall we?” Kara asks, gesturing towards the front of the aquarium.

“There’s nothing I’d like more.”

Kara has already bought tickets, so they stroll right in to soak in all of the sights. According to many, the National City Aquarium is one of the finest in the world, and on top of that they just underwent an extensive renovation (thanks, in part, to a generous donation from Cat Grant), so the exhibits are even larger and more impressive. They head towards the deep sea exhibit first. The two of them are illuminated by the gentle glow of the jellyfish tanks, and Kara wonders if anyone has ever looked as beautiful as Sam does right now.

“So, I feel like first dates are usually about getting to know the other person,” Kara says, as they slowly walk past dimly-lit tanks, hand-in-hand. “But, I think I know you pretty well already. We have been friends for a few months, after all.”

“That’s very true,” Sam says. “So, that leaves just one thing for us to do – I’m going to test your knowledge of me.”

“Oh, let’s do it,” Kara says. “I’m going to pass this with flying colors.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sam says, smiling playfully at her. “And, speaking of, what’s my favorite color?”

“Easy. Red.”

“Alright, that was pretty easy,” Sam says, leaning back in her chair. “What’s my favorite food?”

“In polite company you say French cuisine, especially the braised rabbit leg you got at that fancy restaurant in Metropolis,” Kara says. “But, your actual favorite food is burritos. The best burrito you’ve ever had is the one you got from the food truck that operated out of the liquor store parking lot near your college campus.” 

“Not bad, Danvers. What’s my favorite song?”

“Is it Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Run Away With Me’ yet?” Kara asks hopefully.

Sam just laughs. “You know it isn’t.”

Kara sighs dramatically. “Oh, fine. Your favorite song is ‘Jumpers’ by Sleater-Kinney, for some reason."”

“I can’t believe you don’t like Sleater-Kinney.”

“I can’t believe you don’t like CRJ! She’s queen of the gays, from what I hear, and that’s what we are.”

Sam laughs even harder this time and Kara immediately counts this as one of her finest achievements. “You’re ridiculous. Okay, what about my favorite book…”

Sam continues quizzing her like this and they only take a break when Kara spots the octopus tank and she waxes poetic about their surprising intelligence and evolutionary history for minutes on end. Sam listens, enraptured. They managed to get through fifteen questions before that, and Kara, true to her word, gets them all correct.

“You know, Ruby really does cite you as a reason she loves biology so much more now,” Sam says.

“That is the best thing I’ve ever heard,” Kara says. “I’m going to get her into sociology next, just you wait.”

“I’m sure you will. Your enthusiasm is infectious.”

“Oh, is it? Does that mean I’ve made an octopus fan out of you?”

Sam just laughs. They slowly make their way to the next exhibit – the kelp forest.

“I’m certainly getting there. And, going back to the questions, I have some more for you,” Sam says. “What’s Ruby’s favorite color?”

“Green.”

“Food?”

“Burgers, though she really is trying to make an effort to enjoy all the vegetarian meals you cook for her.”

Sam snorts. “Well, that’s something, I guess. Her favorite song?”

“‘Old Town Road.’”

“Kara, please.”

“Don’t worry, I know that it’s ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage Against the Machine.”

“Kara!”

Kara can’t help but burst out in laughter. “Okay, sorry, it’s ‘Almost (Sweet Music)’ by Hozier.”

“That’s better,” Sam says, shaking her head. “Okay, where do I keep her EpiPens?”

Kara regards her for a moment, brow furrowed. But, she does know the answer, so she decides to move into the serious realm this conversation has just entered. “You have one in your purse and she has one in her backpack. The third one is in the medicine cabinet in your bathroom.”

“Well, I’m impressed. Sorry to get all serious, it’s just nice to know that you care so much about her.”

“Of course I do! Ruby and I are real tight. Seriously. I’m here for the both of you.”

Sam reaches out and gently squeezes Kara’s hand. “That’s very sweet of you.”

“I mean it,” Kara says, her gaze meeting Sam’s.

* * *

Kara presses her lips to Sam’s cheek just outside of the outdoor otter exhibit, beneath the warmth of the sun, and she can’t imagine a date being better than this.

* * *

Hours later, once they’ve exhausted all that the aquarium has to offer, the two of them end up in a charmingly retro ice cream shop just a few blocks away. They haven’t yet had dinner, but Kara insists they eat dessert first, since life is short and dessert is forever. Sam orders a scoop of mint chocolate chip, while Kara gets some horrifying monstrosity with three different flavors of ice cream and what seems like an equivalent weight in a wild mishmash of toppings.

“I still can’t reconcile how insanely fit you are with your diet,” Sam says.

“You can track macros all you want, but at the end of the day, it’s all calories – it’s all fuel,” Kara says, shrugging. “And, what, have you been checking out how _fit_ I am, Ms. Arias?”

Sam smiles at her and slowly trails her fingertips up Kara’s forearms. “Maybe a little. Imagine how distracted I’d be if you wore something sleeveless.”

“You know I’m absolutely going to do that now, right?”

“Oh, woe is me. I’ll have to stare at your biceps for an entire date. What a terrible fate.”

“This shirt is pretty tight, actually. You might be able to see them through my sleeves.”

And with that, Kara flexes, her biceps straining against the thick fabric of her shirt. Sam chews on her lower lip and stares openly. Kara loves the way Sam looks at her, just raw and open and honest, unashamed of her desire. It sends a thrill through Kara to be so wanted, especially by such a beautiful woman like Sam. It’s exciting in a way that many of her past relationships were not.

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Am I allowed to make a la petite mort joke even if we haven’t slept together yet?”

Sam laughs. “No rules against that, Danvers.”

* * *

They do end up getting dinner at the number five best burger joint in National City (it’s perfectly equidistant to both the aquarium and Kara’s apartment). After they finish their meal, they slowly walk back to Kara’s apartment, hand-in-hand. Kara steals as many glances as she can, admiring how stunning Sam is beneath the buzzing streetlights and the final glimmers of sunset. Sam is so beautiful that it makes Kara’s heart ache, and there are several moments where she’s amazed that this is all happening.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Sam asks.

“I’m just happy right now,” Kara says, smiling. “I’m also so thankful that you had the courage to kiss me that night.”

Sam laughs and if Kara feels like she’s falling for her even harder than before. “Me too. Really, you should be thanking Lena’s fancy wine. That gave me the final push.”

“Nothing wrong with a little liquid courage. I – yeah, I’m just happy.”

“Good,” Sam says, squeezing her hand. “So am I.”

They walk in comfortable silence, enjoying the simple delight of holding hands. Kara notices they’re about a block away from her apartment, though, and her stomach begins twisting into knots. Where does the night go from here? What does Sam want? Hell, Kara doesn’t even quite know what she wants.

“So, this is me,” Kara says, as they stop outside of her building.

“This is you.”

Kara nods, and stares down at her hands for a moment before looking back up at her date. “Would you like to come up?”

“I would,” Sam says, before rubbing the back of her neck. “I can’t stay for long, though, I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave Ruby alone for too long.”

“No, that’s totally fine,” Kara says. “We can have a nightcap and then call it.”

Sam smiles at her. “That’s perfect.”

She leans in and quickly kisses Kara on the lips. Though brief, Kara can feel herself swooning already – Sam is just too much to handle.

They quickly make their way up to Kara’s apartment. The space feels just as quiet and intimate as it did that time after their latest game night, a little world just for the two of them. As glamorous and beautiful as she is, Sam looks right at home in Kara’s humble living space, her features soft and comely beneath the warm lighting. Kara allows herself to simply take in this moment, wanting to commit it to memory forever.

“Do you want something to drink?” Kara asks, finally finding it within herself to speak. “I have cheap wine and cheaper whiskey, courtesy of Alex.”

“I’ll take the wine, thanks. I’ve known your sister long enough not to trust her taste in alcohol.”

“Very smart,” Kara says. “I at least aim for half-tier above Barefoot for my wine.”

Kara pours out glasses for the both of them. Sam accepts hers graciously.

“So,” Sam says, swirling her wine around before taking a sip. “I had a good time tonight.”

“Yeah?” Kara asks, a bit breathlessly. “So did I.”

“I’m going to be honest, though, I’d have a good time with you doing almost anything. But this was great.”

“It really was. This was the best first date I think I’ve ever gone on. Though, to be fair, we’ve kind of been going on dates this whole time and we just haven’t realized it.”

Sam laughs. “I think you’re right. That’s how I’ve been treating our ‘lunch get-togethers’ in my head, even though I wasn’t even totally aware of that.”

“Well, going by that logic, we’ve been on five dates already. What’re five more?”

Sam leans in and kisses her on the lips, and Kara is amazed that’s something that can just _happen_ now.

“You’re so smooth,” Sam says. “I take it you have an idea for our next date?”

“I have tickets for a concert. I’m keeping the band a surprise, but what could be better than listening to music with a pretty girl?” 

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?”

Kara laughs, playfully shoving her shoulder. “You’re terrible.”

Sam flashes her a gorgeous smile and Kara wonders if it’s possible to get a heart attack just from being around pretty girls. As they slowly finish their wine, though, Sam reluctantly reminds Kara that she does need to get home. Kara can’t take it anymore and balls up the front of Sam’s shirt in her fist and pulls her in close to kiss her, slowly and sensually. Sam moans into her mouth, and Kara feels just about ready to explode.

“Wow,” Sam says, when they finally break apart. “You’re really good at that.”

Kara’s cheeks manage to flush an even deeper shade of red. “So are you.”

Kara walks Sam downstairs, where her rideshare is waiting for her. They kiss once more, long and slow, before the Lyft driver honks at them and they break apart, laughing and pink-faced. Sam gets into the car and suddenly she’s gone, leaving Kara there on the sidewalk, a thrill of emotions still rushing through her veins.

* * *

When Kara returns to her bed, with her thoughts tuned to Sam and only Sam, she shoves her hands beneath her panties and finishes herself off in minutes. Once she’s done, sweaty and her pulse racing, she realizes that she might be ready to take things a step further.

* * *

Five dates come and go, though, and she gets no further towards inviting Sam to stay the night. Kara is frustrated, entirely with herself.

* * *

Kara is pleasantly surprised to find Sam step into her office. While Lena has made the occasional trek over to the CatCo offices, Sam hasn’t yet done so.

“Sam! What’re you doing here?”

“Maybe I just desperately wanted to see your pretty face, Danvers,” Sam says, leaning against Kara’s desk.

Kara swallows as she lets her gaze travel up the long lines of Sam’s legs in that delightful pencil skirt she’s wearing. 

“Well, I’m not complaining about that.”

“I can see that. But, seriously, I wanted to ask you for a huge favor.”

“Shoot.”

Sam rubs the back of her neck, and Kara is oddly intrigued to see her reflect one of her own nervous tics.

“Since Lena is Lena, she’s throwing a big charity gala for the children’s hospital. I was wondering if you wanted to be my date.”

“Sam, I’d love to! I’ve been to one of her galas before, they’re fun. And she always gets the best food for them.”

Sam breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’ve been to one before, so you’ll know what to expect. Though this time I suppose you’ll have to get to navigate the minefield that comes with your girlfriend being the CFO. The board members will be relentless, I’m sure.”

“Don’t worry, I can handle a few pompous rich dudes. And, wait – ‘girlfriend?’” A delighted smile makes its way across Kara’s face. She nearly missed Sam saying that, but it just managed to embed itself into her brain.

Sam’s eyes grow wide. “Oh, I didn’t even realize I said that out loud. I’m sorry if I’m being too forward, and we should probably have a real conversation about this, and…”

“Sam,” Kara stands up and grabs her hands. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Sam says, her eyes filled with awe for a moment. “Well, good. I’m glad we got that sorted out.”

Kara laughs. “Yeah, me too. Y’know, it is almost noon. You want to take me out to lunch, girlfriend mine?”

“I’d love to. Besides, I know I need to feed the beast.”

* * *

The gala is going perfectly. The alcohol is flowing freely, the food has been a major hit (it turns out that everyone really does love potstickers), and the conversations, for the most part, have been lively and friendly. And, even better, no awful board member has approached Lena about the company’s new green direction. Things are going wonderfully.

Until, of course, Sam and Kara walk in, and they’re both wearing _suits_. Kara is in a lovely navy blue number that accentuates the broadness of her shoulders and brings out the natural color of her eyes, while Sam is in a rakishly slim-cut burgundy suit that emphasizes her height and her long, long legs. Lena stares at the two women who are supposed to be her very best friends for far too long to be appropriate.

Lena tears her eyes away from them and gulps down the rest of her champagne before quickly getting another, trying to push down the revelation that she still has crushes on both of her best friends as deep down as it can go. She even hates the way it sounds – _crushes_ – far too puerile for someone like her, she thinks, but there’s also no other word to describe the way she feels. She’s attracted to both of them, wants to magically insert herself into both of their shoes and receive all of their affection, experience all of the kisses and held hands. It’s awfully selfish of her, which she thinks is perhaps appropriate for someone with a disgustingly overinflated net worth like herself.

Before her thoughts can continue spiraling downwards, a tap on her shoulder breaks her out of them.

“You going to drink all of the champagne, Luthor?”

Lena turns around to see who else but Kara and Sam, standing right in front of her. Sam has her hands shoved in the pockets of her suit pants, looking far too cool for even this gala, while Kara somehow manages to make the precise lines of her suit look casual and easygoing. It’s too much for her to handle.

“I’m trying my very hardest,” Luthor says, managing a grin and a strained laugh. “I’m glad you two could make it. You both look – great.”

“Thanks! When Sam mentioned I could wear a suit to this thing I was so happy,” Kara says. “I hate dresses.”

“And you know I’m not going to complain about wearing pants,” Sam shrugs. “How’s the damage so far? Had any of our lovely board members yell at you yet?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Lena says, taking another sip of her champagne. “I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, though.”

“Well, if I get drunk enough, I might just punch one of them in the face if they say anything dumb to me again,” Sam says. “That wouldn’t cause any scandals, right?”

“I’ll make sure she behaves,” Kara says, resting a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder while also _winking_ at Lena.

Lena feels like she’s about to faint.

* * *

Lena is talking to the head of her R&D department when she catches a glimpse of Kara and Sam out on the dance floor. The sea of dancing pairs parts just long enough to allow her to see them there, Kara’s arms draped loosely behind Sam’s neck as they sway back and forth. They’re looking at one another like they’re the only people in the world.

The R&D head tells a joke and Lena laughs politely before excusing herself. She makes her way to the women’s restroom and, thankfully, finds a stall where she can hide from the rest of the party. She sits down on the closed lid of the toilet and cradles her head in her hands. Now not only does she feel embarrassingly juvenile for crushing on her best friends like this, she feels exceptionally disgusting for doing so. The way they look at one another – it’s clear that they’re madly in love with one another, whether or not they’ve said that to one another yet. Lena can’t come between that.

So, she does what she does best. She pushes this silly crush as far down as it can go and heads back out, ready to grin and bear it.

* * *

As soon as they get back to Kara’s apartment, she presses Sam up against the wall before the door even fully closes and roughly kisses her. Sam arches her body into Kara’s automatically, seeking further pressure and warmth. Kara feels like she’s losing her mind as she moans into Sam’s mouth, never having felt such passion before.

“Damn, Kara,” Sam says, her voice breathy and low. “I should’ve worn this suit around you sooner.”

“I don’t know, I think I’m having more of an effect on you than you are on me,” Kara says, grinning playfully at her. “Hey, can we take this to the bedroom?”

Sam catches her breath, regarding Kara for a moment, taking in the flush of her cheeks and the dilation of her pupils. Still, she knows that Kara is still new to all of this; she doesn’t want to push her or rush into anything.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

“I’m sure. I want you so badly. It’s driving me crazy.”

Sam feels like she’s going to melt. “Lead the way.”

Kara grabs Sam’s hand and practically drags her into the bedroom.

* * *

Kara wakes up the next morning feeling more refreshed and clearheaded than she has in weeks, maybe even months. There’s a lingering warmth in the bed where Sam once was and a flash of disappointment overcomes Kara before she hears the sizzling of bacon and the warm gurgle of the drip coffee maker drifting in through the door to her bedroom. Kara smiles, enjoying the domesticity of the moment, before she pushes herself out of her bed and pulls on an oversized t-shirt.

The morning sun is flooding into her apartment, and the warmth of the cheap wood flooring feels great against her bare feet. Kara leans against the kitchen countertop for a moment, admiring as her girlfriend ( _her girlfriend_ , a wonderful phrase, she thinks) moves easily around the kitchen, chopping fruit and checking the bacon and piling scrambled eggs on plates.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help?” Sam asks playfully.

“You should know that I’m a disaster in the kitchen. I’ll pour the coffee. Milk and no sugar, right?”

“You got it. I guess I’ll have to make do with that two-percent milk in your fridge. I already checked.”

“It’s either that or the vanilla-flavored soy milk,” Kara grins at her. 

“You put that in my coffee and I tell Ruby that you almost fainted when you saw Janelle Monae perform.”

“She’s an icon! And she was wearing a suit!”

* * *

Sam has to leave not longer after they finish eating, since she has to pick up Ruby from her sleepover. Kara doesn’t mind, though, since they’ve already made plans to go to an art museum the next weekend and they’re more than likely going to grab lunch together during the week. On top of that, she still feels giddy about last night – her first experience with a woman. And what a woman! She feels the need to talk to someone about it and almost calls Alex before she realizes what an absolute nightmare that conversation would be, and instead dials up Maggie, the most distinguished lesbian that she knows.

“What did Alex do?” Maggie answers.

“What? No, this doesn’t have anything to do with Alex. The furthest thing from it, in fact.”

“Ah, I understand. You had sex.”

Kara sputters and nearly trips over her own feet even though she’s just casually strolling back and forth in her living room.

“I mean, I did, but how did you know?”

“Because this is the one thing you would specifically call me about and not Alex. It just makes sense.”

“I get it, you used your freaky detective powers. But yeah, I did! It was amazing, Maggie, oh my god. How have I never done this before?”

“I genuinely have no idea. You’re a pretty blonde girl with muscles and you seemingly dress exclusively in tight jeans and oxford shirts. Hell, you own three different men’s Engineered Garments blazers. How have you not had women throwing themselves all over you?”

Kara rubs the back of her neck. “Well, it’s not like women haven’t flirted with me in the past…”

“Ah, but you had to wait until the wealthy CFO with supermodel looks showed interest in you. High standards, I get it.”

“Maggie!”

“I’m just teasing, little Danvers. Look, congrats on the sex, dude.”

Kara blushes. “Thanks, I think. I just had to tell someone. I feel, just…” Kara sighs happily.

“Yeah, I totally get it. I remember my first time, way back in high school. It was awkward and terrible but also the best thing ever. Oh god, wait, I hope your first time with a woman wasn’t like that. I forgot how to take a bra off! Me, a boob-ed person!”

Kara laughs. “I’m not going to go into details, but I was definitely able to work a bra clasp.”

“Good for you! Hold on to this feeling, Kara. You have a really good one with Sam.”

“Yeah, I really do. I feel so lucky.”

“I’m sure Sam feels the same way. Muscles and blazers, Kara, muscles and blazers. Hey, since I have you on the line, I wanted to talk to you about Alex’s upcoming birthday. I have about a million gift ideas, and as much as I want to buy them all that might make my credit card explode, so…”

They launch into a serious, earnest discussion about purchasing gifts for Alex. Kara can’t help but feel happy, both because of the developments in her relationship with Sam and because she has such a strong friendship with Maggie. What a blessing, to have so many wonderful women in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Lena angst, what we've all been waiting for. If you could, leaving a comment/kudos would be lovely!!


	4. Self Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends, I'm back! And yes, the chapter title is a Frank Ocean reference, we love a bi king in this household. "Self Control" is also straight up one of my favorite songs of all time. 
> 
> Anyway, Lena is doing a lot of not talking about her feelings in this chapter, something she's way too good at!

Lena finds herself in CatCo, having been invited to speak at one of their all-hands-on-deck biannual staff meetings. Since L-Corp does, in fact, own the entire corporation, she can’t blame them for asking her to give a speech. She feels more than a little out of place, and focuses mostly on the excellent return-on-investment CatCo has been (something that Sam is always going on and on about), and ends with a few quick platitudes about the importance of good journalism and the value of unbiased reporting.

Lena hangs around throughout the entire meeting, since James is going to give a speech as well and that’s always pretty funny, and because there’s a meeting back at L-Corp she’s desperately trying to miss because all of the people in it annoy her. She tries her hardest to slip out and disappear once it’s over, but before she can get to her car who else taps her on the shoulder but her _best friend_ , Kara.

“Lena, hi! That was a great speech.”

“Really? I thought you’d have qualms about my praise of unbiased reporting. I still remember the rant you went on about how there’s no such thing and a ‘lack of bias’ often skews towards the status quo.”

“Well, yes, that’s all definitely true. But it was still great! Sam’s been talking a lot about the ROI stuff, too. Economics and accounting definitely aren’t my thing, but making money is good. Means we can keep fighting the good fight.”

And there it is. A reference to Sam, already. Lena knows she shouldn’t feel this way, and thus pushes these feelings as far down as they can possibly go, but watching her two best friends (best friends she also has or has had crushes on) embark on this relationship together is hard to handle even when she’s at her best, and public speaking always makes her feel a little more fragile.

“You’re such a bleeding heart,” Lena says, attempting something of a playful smile at that. “And your job is safe. Keep it up and we might even buy you guys a second espresso machine for the break room.”

“Oh, I don’t know if that would be a good idea,” Kara says, grinning. “Daisy – she has an office near mine – already goes through, like four cups of coffee a day. A second espresso machine might be genuinely deadly.”

Lena laughs. For obvious reasons, she hasn’t been spending as much time with Kara as she had before she started dating Sam, but even this is enough to make her miss it. Kara is just so delightfully easy to be around, so willing to carry a conversation, so happy to tell even the dumbest of jokes just to make someone laugh.

“Well, I’ll certainly take that under consideration.”

“Hey, so, do you have some time to grab lunch? I feel like I haven’t spent as much time with you lately and we need to hang out. I’ll even let you choose the restaurant.”

Lena certainly doesn’t feel like she _needs_ to hang out with Kara, mostly because she thinks doing so would slowly kill her. At the same time, though, Kara is looking at her with that look in her eyes and she sounds so genuinely apologetic about not carving enough time out of her schedule for Lena, despite the fact that it’s been Lena who hasn’t been making time for her, and there’s no way she’s going to say no at this point.

“Sure, I have some time. I’m taking you to a place that serves only salad, though.”

Kara presses her lips into a tight line but doesn’t complain, and Lena counts that as a victory.

* * *

Kara naturally orders what is genuinely the least healthy salad that the restaurant has – a some kind of monstrosity with blue cheese dressing and bacon bits. Lena just shakes her head fondly as Kara begins stuffing lettuce into her mouth while also trying her hardest to continue telling her story about how she and her coworker, Jemma, have discovered the perfect ratio of Lucky Charms to Frosted Mini Wheats to milk in their morning bowls of cereal. It’s silly and dumb and perfectly Kara to start a friendship over appropriate cereal ratios. 

It’s then that Lena realizes just how deeply in trouble she is. Because she wants this, she wants this always, to have Kara all to herself to tell her dumb stories from work and take her out to different restaurants around the city, to bask in her bright smile and blue eyes. It’s impossible not to fall for someone like Kara.

But, she could never betray Sam like this. Though it’s becoming increasingly difficult, Lena wraps up her feelings in a tight little box and shoves them off into a dusty corner of her mind. She thought that things would be easier now, having tried so furiously to stamp out whatever emotions she had the night of the gala, but everything seems to have gotten worse.

“Hey, what’s on your mind?” Kara asks, voice full of concern. “You seem a little off today.”

“It’s nothing,” Lena says, smiling. “Nothing. Just work.”

Lena swears that Kara can see right through her, see right down to her hidden feelings and buried insecurities and darkest secrets. Those blue eyes are so open and earnest that Lena genuinely considers simply giving all her secrets away, but there’s no way that she could. Doing so would result in ruining not one but two friendships, and Lena is low on those to begin with.

“Okay,” Kara says, plainly not believing her but also kind enough to not press the issue. She rests her hand atop Lena’s, who nearly begins hyperventilating at that casual contact. “Don’t work yourself too hard, alright? You deserve to take a break, just like anyone else.”

Lena laments Kara’s natural, earnest kindness – it is a torture too much for her. “Thank you, Kara. You’re very sweet.”

“Well, you are my best friend and all,” Kara says. “I’d get awfully lonely if you work yourself to death.”

Lena feels as if her heart stops.

* * *

Lena knocks on the door to Sam’s apartment and Ruby quickly opens it up for her, a bright smile on her face.

“Auntie Lena! You’re here!”

“I’m here, Rubes,” Lena says, drawing Ruby into a quick side-hug. “Where’s your mom?”

“Mom is here,” Sam says, poking her head out from her bedroom. “Sorry, I had to decide on which t-shirt I didn’t mind getting glue on. 

Lena lets her gaze travel up and down Sam’s figure – she’s just dressed in an old band tee and a pair of slim-fitting joggers, and yet she’s still so beautiful that Lena finds herself chewing on her lower lip just to have an outlet for the desire that coils up in her gut. It’s really not fair, Lena figures, that she happens to have a crush on _both_ of her best friends.

“How do you look good dressed like this? It’s very frustrating,” Lena asks, feigning annoyance.

“Because I’m tall and hot, Lena. And you’re one to talk, given that you always look like that.”

Lena feels Sam’s gaze roam over her body as well, and she certainly couldn’t say that the attention isn’t welcome.

Ruby crinkles her nose. “You guys are weird.”

“Hey, kiddo, when you’re our age you’ll accept any compliment you can get.”

“I’m twenty-four,” Lena says flatly.

“I know! Compared to Rubes you practically have one foot in the grave.”

Lena glares at Sam, who just grins cheekily back at her. “Can we just start this project?”

“Fine, nerd, let’s do it. Ruby, could you please take the floor and explain to Auntie Lena why we’ve gathered here today?”

“We’re making a 3D model of an organelle for AP Biology! Mine is the endoplasmic reticulum.”

“Good job choosing such an easy one to do, Rubes,” Lena says, teasing her fondly.

As Lena had assumed, this little arts and crafts project quickly descends into chaos. Ruby is struggling to properly glue the pieces of felt together in the right way to emulate the folds of the organelle, Sam is having a harder time than she’d like to admit sewing on the beads that are supposed to represent ribosomes, and even Lena herself has already cut two pieces of felt in the wrong shape.

At one point, Sam groans out loud, grabs a bottle of glue, and begins attaching beads to the back of Lena’s shirt. Ruby giggles as Lena dramatically gasps.

“Sam, what are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, but this project is dumb and annoying.”

“So you’re also going to be dumb and annoying?”

Sam just grins at her as Ruby giggles. Lena, her face a mask of faux fury, grabs a sizable piece of felt and begins pouring glue all over it.

“Lena, don’t you dare,” Sam says, backing up.

“Oh, Lena dares, Sam.”

Lena advances on Sam, who dodges out of the way into the living room. Lena dances to and fro before lunging at her, who trips over her own feet and falls backwards onto the couch. Somehow, Lena manages to get tangled up in her flailing limbs and also loses her balance, ending up falling forward onto Sam. The piece of felt slaps against the wall and slowly slides downwards, its glue-soaked weight working against it.

Lena is laughing so hard and feeling so genuinely joyful in a way she hasn’t in weeks that she doesn’t realize that her body is pressing against Sam’s, the heat radiating from her body and settling somewhere deep in her gut. Her laughter fades in her throat but her smile doesn’t and Sam is looking back at her with an expression that mirrors her own. She doesn’t know what it means and it makes her insides feel like twin coiled snakes of guilt and desire.

“You gonna get off, Luthor?”

The way Sam’s voice wraps around the syllables of her last name is positively sinful and that’s enough for Lena to practically leap off of her.

“Sorry,” Lena says, smoothing down the now wrinkled front of her shirt. “I think I got glue on your wall.”

Sam cranes her neck to see the piece of felt sadly peeling off the wall and laughs.

“Yeah, you did. I’ll take it out of your salary.”

Lena just snorts and looks off to see Ruby staring at her, an unreadable expression on her face.

They all redouble their efforts and finish the endoplasmic reticulum, and Lena politely but firmly refuses Sam’s offer to stay for dinner and heads straight back to her penthouse, where she makes a beeline for her bed and lies there as the colors of the sunset bleed into her room.

* * *

Lena wakes up blearily the next morning and the lines of her bedroom seem entirely foreign to her. It takes her a while to realize that she fell asleep in her clothes last night when it was barely eight. She props herself up on her elbows. The light of the early sunrise slips in through her curtains, opened just a hair, and she stares at the way that strip of light illuminates her white sheets for a long moment.

Lena thought she was in love with Sam back when they were in college together. They would make one another laugh like nobody else could, they shared secret glances and smiles and, once, after Sam had put little Ruby to bed, they kissed in the dim light of Sam’s crappy apartment living room. In all of her life up to that point, Lena had never felt anything like she felt with Sam.

Lex was arrested on charges of insider trading a month later, which Lena has always found incredibly, tragically hilarious. They hated him because he was fixing the game, so to speak, but not because he had been funneling money to domestic right wing, white supremacist groups for years. So, after that, Lena decided that she couldn’t let herself get close to anyone ever again.

(Sam had been perhaps too understanding and let this all happen. She was even nice enough to accept the position of CFO and pretend like nothing had ever happened between them).

Lena didn’t let herself get close to anyone ever again, not until Kara came around. And, really, she’s the reason Lena’s in this mess. (Lena’s feelings are the reason she’s in this mess, really, but when is that not the case?) She had thought her feelings for Sam had faded around the time she started falling for Kara. She thought wrong.

Lena finally extricates herself from her bed and walks into her kitchen, soaked in the morning light, and hopes that settling into her routine will quiet her treacherous feelings.

* * *

“Hey, what the hell is up with you?”

Lena regards Alex for a moment and snorts. Leave it to her to be blunt. 

“Nothing is up with me.”

Lena tries to hide her pounding heart behind a veil of feigned annoyance, but with the way Alex is looking at her right now it’s like she knows, knows far too much about how she’s feeling.

“Something is always up with you, but especially in these last few months. You’ve been even quieter than you normally are. I mean, we’re at your favorite bar and you’re over here nursing a whiskey by yourself instead of kicking everyone’s ass at pool.”

Lena glances over at the pool table and spends just a little too long looking at the way Sam and Kara laugh over a particularly bad shot by Winn. Alex observes her and narrows her eyes.

“Is this about Sam and Kara?”

Lena begins to panic and it takes all of her experience as a CEO to keep her face an unreadable mask and still her body.

“Do you not approve?” Alex goes on to ask, an edge to her voice, but Lena is relieved that she hasn’t quite guessed her secret. Not yet.

“Of course I approve, not that it matters. Look how happy they are together.”

Lena realizes she must’ve said that too glumly, because Alex’s gaze is now painfully soft and she’s rubbing Lena’s back.

“Hey, don’t worry, Lena. You’ll find someone. You know, if I wasn’t married to the greatest woman on Earth, I’d take you out on a date.”

Lena raises an eyebrow at that. “Oh, you would, would you?”

“Yeah, you know you’re pretty hot, right?” Alex says, leaning against the bar. “You’re a little rich for my blood, though.”

“You’re an orthopedic surgeon,” Lena says flatly.

“And yet, you make as much in a month as I do in a year.”

Lena just stares at her, though it only takes a moment until Alex is laughing. Lena can’t help but join in, and suddenly, she feels at least a little better than she did before. Alex draws her into a warm side-hug and, as Lena rests her head against her shoulder, she completely understand why Kara loves her sister so much. 

* * *

“Hey, friends!” Kara greets, bouncing on her heels. “Are we ready to get started?”

Alex takes one look at her and pulls the brim of her cap until it’s covering her eyes. Kara sputters and readjusts it, looking terribly offended as everyone laughs.

“Jock Kara has returned,” Alex says. “Everybody watch out.”

“I’m not a jock!” Kara protests.

The group is silent.

“Okay, who thinks I’m a jock?” Kara asks.

“It’s so obvious,” Alex is quick to say. “You did basically every single sport you possibly could in college and in high school. Total jock.”

“You also spend way more time in the gym than anyone I know,” James says. “I can see it.”

“Yeah, but Kara also loves art. I remember when we visited National City’s museum of modern art – I don’t think anyone could’ve gotten her to stop rambling,” Lena says fondly, a thrill going through her just from being able to say that she has this memory of Kara that’s shared just between the two of them. “So, she’s an art ho.”

“An ‘art ho?’” Winn asks. “C’mon, Lena, that’s not even on the Nerd-Jock, Goth-Prep axes. And, besides, Kara is a total nerd, just like me.”

Everyone stares at him.

“Okay, fine, not _just_ like me. But, Kara does have all of the nerd credentials – multiple degrees, a deep love of science, an ability to recall minutia about the pop culture she consumes…”

“At least I don’t play Magic,” Kara says, grinning at him.

“Hey, Magic is cool! It’s a lot of strategy and high-level thinking!”

“Right, totally,” Sam says, patting Winn’s shoulder. “You are right, though, Kara is a total nerd. She was at my apartment the other day and she spent half the time helping Ruby with her chemistry homework. Voluntarily.”

“Chemistry is fun!” Kara says. “I mean, they’re just getting into, like, stoichiometry, which is pretty basic but still very important!”

Alex groans. “Oh god, you are a nerd.”

“You’re the one with the biochemistry degree,” Kara fires back.

“Yeah, but I’m also super cool. Orthopedic surgeons are the jocks of the medical world,” Alex says, before turning to Maggie. “Right, babe?”

“Uh huh, you absolutely are, babe,” Maggie says, a playful grin on her face. “Very cool. Super, super cool.”

“Ugh, traitor.”

“Can we please just start this hike?” Lena groans.

* * *

Lena knew she would be in trouble. She knows what both Sam and Kara look like in athletic clothing, but to have them both here in front of her, a light sheen of perspiration on their skin as they conquer this hike with ease as they laugh and flirt, is just too much for her. They both had the audacity to wear perfectly form-fitting workout shorts and tight tank tops and Lena finds it nearly impossible to look away. Kara’s biceps alone draw her gaze back in about a half-dozen times.

“Luthor!”

She turns around to see Alex marching up towards her with ease, like the crushing incline of their path doesn’t even register to her. It’s incredible unfair that both of the Danvers sisters are in absurd shape.

“Danvers. What’s up?” Lena asks, trying to make it sound like she’s not terribly out of breath already.

“So, I was thinking about that conversation we had the other day, at the bar.”

Lena is surprised. That had been over a week ago, and Alex is still caught up on it?

“There’s woman who works in the admin department at my hospital,” Alex continues. “I think you’d really like her. She’s smart, funny, and attractive in a sort of ‘reformed punk/goth’ sort of way, which I can only assume you’d be into.”

“I never should’ve shown you those high school pictures,” Lena grumbles.

“Anyway, she’s single and aggressively bisexual – you would not believe how many bi pride flags, pins, and stickers she has around her desk – so if you want me to set you two up, I absolutely can.”

As Lena mulls the offer over in her mind, she can’t help but steal another glance at Sam and Kara. They’re walking side-by-side, their shoulders brushing even though the trail is wide enough to accommodate them both, and Sam is smiling in that way she only ever does around Kara and…

“Yeah, that would be great,” Lena says, managing a smile. “What’s her name?”

Chloe! You guys will hit it off, I promise,” Alex says, rambling off about her, and Lena hopes this is what she needs. A worthwhile distraction.

* * *

Lena gets Chloe’s number and invites her to a casual yet highly-regarded French fusion restaurant downtown. It’s fun, in its own way, to go through the rituals of going on a date, something she hasn’t done in a very long time. She agonizes over her outfit, she does her makeup and hair to perfection, and she even revels in the way her heart speeds up with nerves as she’s waiting for her date to show up.

Chloe is exactly as advertised. She’s incredibly smart, funny in a surprisingly and refreshingly sharp and biting way, and easy to talk to. Not only that, but she’s stunning, with warm, kind eyes, a strong jawline, and, as Alex had alluded to, the underside of her hair is dyed a hypnotic blend of blue and purple in a sort of concession to the days when he hair was entirely dyed in those shades. Lena genuinely can’t remember the last time she had a first date that went this well. Even her first date with Jack was awkward and uncomfortable at times.

Chloe isn’t Kara, though, and she’s not Sam.

And therein lies the problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? Alex is the best big sister ever, huh? If you could, kudos/comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Also, if you want to yell at me about this fic or if you want to see me reblog a bunch of leftist memes, follow me on my [Tumblr](http://movepastthefeeling.tumblr.com/)! Alternatively, I promise I'll actually use my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MPTF_Fics) account if y'all follow me on there lol, what even is Twitter? All I do is get mad at centrists on there lol
> 
> Also also, if you have any ideas for a Superlane fic, send em my way. We 2015 Supergirl now


	5. Pink + White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, another Frank Ocean reference. I hope you guys like this one!

“Good morning.”

Sam rubs the sleep from her eyes as the pleasant warmth against her back increases and she feels lips pressed up against her neck. A shiver runs down her spine as she turns to see Kara smiling at her, looking radiant in the soft morning light, her golden hair glowing and her eyes bright.

“I think it’s time for breakfast, don’t you?”

“Breakfast?” Sam asks blearily.

Kara chuckles, already getting out of bed. “Food, Arias. It’s waffle week and you know how disappointed Ruby will be if we don’t make that happen.”

Kara pulls on a pair of athletic shorts and blows a kiss at Sam. “I’ll see you out in the kitchen, darling.”

Sam smiles back at her as she props herself up on her elbows, finally feeling halfway alert. As the door closes, she turns to look at the depression that Kara had made in the bed, the bed that they’ve been sharing more and more often. At first, Sam had thought they had been spending time here for more practical reasons – her building is closer to downtown, her bed is bigger, Kara can pick Ruby up from soccer practice and bring her here – but now, Kara is out there in the kitchen making breakfast for _Ruby_. It feels like a big deal, Sam thinks, because it is a big deal.

Finally, she pulls on a pair of sweatpants and makes her way into the kitchen. Kara is deftly moving through the space, one of her favorite pop playlists on in the background, the first waffles already filling the room with a most scrumptious scent. Sam chews on her lower lip, an indescribable feeling swirling in her gut.

“Hey, you. I know your bed is comfortable, but I was starting to think you’d never make it out,” Kara says, her tone light and teasing.

“You know me, always dragging my feet before my morning coffee.”

Kara nods towards a steaming mug sitting on the counter. “Oh, don’t I know it.”

Sam picks up the mug and takes a sip – it’s exactly as she likes it, a dash of milk and no sugar.

“I don’t know how you can stand the stuff, personally.”

“Coffee is wonderful, Kara. Not all of us can get by with a cup of herbal tea every morning.”

“I guess I’m just tough like that.”

Sam rolls her eyes and Kara just grins cheekily back at her. They fall into companionable silence and Sam just drinks in the sight of Kara in her kitchen – being with her is just so simple and easy that they’ve somehow fallen into this domestic daydream with the utmost of ease, without Sam even really realizing it. It all hits home when Ruby shuffles in from her bedroom and her face lights up as soon as she sees Kara.

“You’re making waffles?”

Kara scoffs playfully. “Of course I’m making waffles; it’s waffle week.”

“Sweet,” Ruby says. “Can I change the music?”

“Fine, if you must,” Kara sighs dramatically.

Ruby just smiles sweetly at her as Run the Jewels blasts through the overhead speakers.

“I don’t understand your taste in music, munchkin,” Sam says.

“Sorry I don’t listen to Glenn Branca or whatever.”

“Hey, he’s only one of the most influential guitarists of all time.”

“If you guys don’t stop referencing artists I don’t know I will put CRJ back on!” Kara butts in.

“Listen to another band, please,” Sam teases.

“Never!”

They all laugh. It doesn’t take Kara much longer to finish everyone’s waffles, as well as an entire plateful of bacon for herself and a bowlful of fruit they got at the farmer’s market the other day. They all sit around the kitchen island and dig in.

Between bites, Sam just takes in the scene before her – Kara, her _girlfriend,_ joking with her daughter in the kitchen like they’ve known each other forever. It’s all so easy and casual, perhaps too much so. Sam begins to panic. Not visibly or out loud, because Ruby’s in the room and she’s never known how to do anything else but project sheer strength and steadiness in front of her, but somewhere deep inside Sam panics. She’s treading into unknown waters, and there’s nowhere more dangerous to be for herself and her daughter.

* * *

Sam’s phone buzzes against the granite countertop of her kitchen. She picks it up, sighs when she sees that it’s Kara, and sets it back facedown. It’s not fair of her and she knows that, to be acting so childishly to the girlfriend who clearly cares so much about her, but it’s too much. It’s all too much. She should be happy about the way everything is going, but she’s not. She’s just scared.

Sam walks out of the kitchen and into her home office, leaving her phone behind.

* * *

Though Lena has been trying her hardest at avoiding Kara, she stumbles upon her waiting outside of Sam’s office, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. Lena furrows her brow – Sam is out at a meeting right now.

“Are you looking for Sam?”

Kara startles at her voice. “Oh, Lena! Yeah, I was. She hasn’t been responding to my texts so I thought I’d just show up here and surprise her.”

Lena is certainly caught off guard by that. It seems unlike Sam not to tell Kara about her schedule, especially since these lunch dates of theirs happen so often. The mean, nasty part of her brain thinks something along the lines of “trouble in paradise,” though she quickly quashes that train of thought.

“Oh, Sam is having lunch with a couple of reps from Wayne Industries.”

Kara hums and falls silent, her fingers nervously tapping against her thighs.

“Is everything alright?” Lena ventures.

“Yeah, yes, everything’s fine,” Kara says, though she sounds distracted. “Do you have time for lunch? You know, I’m already here and I’m starving. Naturally.”

“I – yes, I do have some time, surprisingly,” Lena says. “Where to?”

“Wherever you want,” Kara says, managing a smile that nearly makes Lena feel breathless.

* * *

“I can’t do this,” Lena mutters to herself as she paces her office. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this.”

Even though she just gotten lunch with Kara, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s doing something wrong. Between the way she feels about the two of them and the possible problems they may be having, she can’t help but worry that she’s worming her way into their relationship. Part of her knows she shouldn’t freak out, since they’re both her friends and getting lunch with your friend is completely innocuous, but another, louder part of her is screaming at her. Screaming that she’s going to ruin it for them, that she’s going to tear it all down, that it’s going to be all her fault.

She sits down heavily upon her couch, feeling the tinges of panic creep up on the edges of her psyche. There’s nothing she needs more than advice on this mess swirling about her mind, but she has no idea who to call. Her breathing becomes rapid and she drums her fingertips against her thighs. As she finally picks up her phone to scroll through her embarrassingly sparse contacts list to find someone to talk to, Jess pokes her head into the office.

“Ma’am, your meeting begins in fifteen.”

Lena exhales audibly, leaning her head back against the couch. “Thank you, Jess.”

* * *

Lena returns to her desk to discover a bottle of sparkling water chilling in a bucket of ice, a few of her favorite pastries from a nearby bakery, and a note from Jess that reads: “Deep breaths, ma’am! I’ve cancelled your 3 o’clock; that executive is an asshole anyway.” Lena smiles and writes down a note to give her longtime assistant another raise.

* * *

“Mom, is something wrong?”

Sam looks up to see that Ruby has wandered out of her bedroom. She sighs, knowing that drinking wine alone on a Wednesday night probably isn’t the best example to set for her daughter.

“Nothing is wrong, Rubes. How’s that homework coming along?”

Ruby sighs and joins her mom at the kitchen island.

“Homework is fine, I’ve been texting Kara for help with physics,” Ruby says, to which Sam gulps down another mouthful of wine. “Seriously, what’s up with you?”

She grabs the bottle of wine off the countertop before Sam can stop her. “You’re drinking fancy wine, so either something really good happened at work or you’re sad.”

Sam rests her cheek against her upturned hand. “When did you get so observant?”

“Well, you always told me that being observant is a way to get an edge against…”

Sam waves the rest of her sentence off. “Okay, yes, fair enough.”

“Am I in trouble? Because if I am, that seems completely unfair.”

Ruby looks so defiant that Sam has to stifle laughter. “No, you’re not in trouble. It’s about Kara, actually.”

“Kara?” Ruby asks, eyes wide. “You’re not going to break up with her, are you?”

That raises some flags in Sam’s mind. “No, I’m not going to break up with her. Are you worried about that?”

Ruby shrugs. “She’s the coolest person you’ve ever dated, I don’t want you to mess that up. Plus, she helps me with all my homework.”

Sam snorts. “And you remember everyone I’ve ever dated?”

“No. Kara is just really cool. Why are you upset about her?”

Sam drums her fingers against her wine glass as she wonders if this is really a conversation she should be having with her daughter. It’s not as if they haven’t discussed the realities of Sam dating in the past, it’s just with Kara it feels different. Still, her daughter deserves the truth.

“I’m not upset, really. I – I’m scared.”

Sam swallows thickly, realizing that without the alcohol buzzing in her veins she wouldn’t be even this open in front of Ruby.

“Scared?” Ruby asks, cocking her head to the side.

“Kara and I have been dating for a few months now,” Sam sighs. “That’s the longest I’ve dated anyone in years. It’s getting serious, and it’s – there’s just a lot on my mind. I’ve got you to think about, my job, it’s a lot.”

“I don’t know, it seems pretty simple to me. Though it’s not like I understand adult culture or anything.”

Sam chuckles at that.

“You like Kara, right? Isn’t that enough?”

Sam smiles and musses up Ruby’s hair. “You would think so, kiddo.”

“Hey, I’m too old to be a ‘kiddo!’”

“That’s never stopped me before!”

* * *

Sam, alone in her bed that evening, feels no better about her relationship with Kara as she stares up at the moonlight thrown across the ceiling in distinct strips. She groans and rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands, trying to discover the origin of all these anxieties. Everything with Kara is so incredibly perfect and comfortable and easy. So, she wonders why she can’t just accept that.

Sam rolls over, buries her face in the pillow, and tries her hardest to fall asleep. It eludes her for at least another hour.

* * *

“Are you okay, Luthor? I don’t really take house calls; I’m not that sort of doctor.”

Lena hums, her cheek resting against her upturned palm as she stares at the glass of wine in front of her.

“Wow, not even a little laughter,” Alex says, coming to sit next to her at the kitchen island. “And I’m usually so charming and funny. What’s wrong, Lena?”

“I…” Lena says, takes one look at Alex, and feels her stomach churn. “Oh, god, this was a mistake.”

“Wow, you’re not pulling any punches. And here I thought we were such good friends.”

“Please stop being funny,” Lena whines.

“Well, at least I got you to admit that I’m funny. Seriously, what’s wrong? I’m here for you.”

Lena lets Alex rub her back as she gulps down another mouthful of wine. This is beginning to feel like an increasingly terrible idea, but it’ll be hard to back out of it now.

“I feel like shit.”

“Well, you could stop chugging wine.”

“Not because of that. The wine is helping. The way I feel is making me feel like shit. Does that make any sense?”

Alex sighs. “It does, unfortunately. So, I’m thinking that it didn’t work out with Chloe?”

“Oh, she’s wonderful, Alex. Smart and funny and gorgeous. But…”

“But, she’s not who you really want.”

Lena narrows her eyes at Alex. Does she know? Has she figured it out? It can be hard to tell with her, but Alex has consistently proven herself to be even smarter and more observant than she already seems.

“I have a pretty good idea of who you’re talking about,” Alex says. “But I want you to say it. I think it’ll be good for you to say out loud.”

Lena’s heart is pounding in her chest. She doesn’t even like telling people when she’s had a tough day at work; discussing her relationship woes seems like an impossible hurdle to clear. Still, though, if anyone might understand, it’s Alex. And, even then, it’s not like she has many more friends to call on.

“It’s Kara. And it’s Sam,” Lena says, voice barely above a whisper.

“I assume you don’t mean this in a homewrecker sort of way.”

Lena glares at her and Alex holds her hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I won’t be funny anymore. You know, I was wondering if you had gotten over your crush on Kara. I had no idea you had it so bad for Sam, too.”

“You knew?”

“Lena, please. I know I’m relatively new to the whole women-loving women thing, but I could tell you had a crush on Kara from the moment I saw you two hanging out. But Sam, too?”

Lena drinks more wine. “Sam, too.”

And just like that, it comes tumbling out of her. Her entire history with Sam – the moments they shared, the kiss, the falling in love, the abrupt ending – all comes spilling out of her. Alex listens, her face open and kind, and not a single judgmental word comes out of her.

“You know if anyone else had confessed to me that they had a crush on my sister’s girlfriend _and_ my sister, I would beat the shit out of them,” Alex says bluntly. “But, I know you’ve probably beaten yourself up to hell in your own head already. So, just help me understand. You feel the same way about both of them?”

Lena presses her lips tightly together, as if she opens them for even a second even more of her secrets will come spilling out of her. She inclines her head ever so slightly, a tentative “yes” to Alex’s question.

“But you also don’t want to hurt them, I assume. Or ruin what they already have.”

Lena nods again, and Alex leans back and sighs.

“I’ve never felt this way before,” Lena whispers. “But I can’t stop feeling it. I thought that maybe if I felt as deep down as I could, it would all just go away. That’s worked for me in the past. But this time, for whatever reason, it’s not working.”

“I don’t think that’s ever really worked for you before. It seems like it’s all bubbling up right now.”

“Yeah, but what do I do?” Lena asks. “I can’t avoid them, since both of them are my friends – Sam especially, since she’s known me the longest of anyone. I can’t tell them, since that would fuck everything up. What do I do, Alex?”

Alex chews on her lower lip, deep in thought. “First of all, I just want to say how proud I am of you that you told me all of this. It couldn’t have been easy.”

Lena regards her with wide eyes. “Really? I thought you’d be a little angrier, at least.”

“If it were anyone but you, Luthor, I would’ve been,” Alex says. “But, I also know you pretty well. When it comes down to it, you don’t want anyone to get hurt except for yourself.”

Lena swallows hard and focuses on her glass of wine once again. Alex is completely right, of course, but that’s always a hard thing to hear.

“And, second - I can’t believe I’m about to say this – but I might actually have some advice for you,” Alex continues.”

“Really?” Lena asks, shocked.

“Really. I hate to say this, because you’re going to have to give this whole spiel again, but you should talk to Maggie. One of her best friends is in an unusual sort of relationship. Well, not unusual, not really; perhaps just by societal norms. But norms are fucked up and stupid, so we can ignore all of that. You should talk to Maggie.”

“What sort of unusual relationship?”

Alex leans back and chuckles. “Well, how much time do you have?”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?”

Maggie bites back her sigh, given that this feels like the twentieth time that Lena’s asked her this very question.

“I’m sure, Luthor. Look, it’s clearly killing you to keep all of these feelings bottled up, and you never know what’s going to happen until you tell them how you feel. Trust me.”

“It’s just – people confess their feelings all the time, I get that. But not a whole lot of people confess their desires for a…”

“Polyamorous,” Maggie provides.

“Right, a polyamorous relationship. Your friends sound very happy, but it’s just unusual to a lot of people.”

“Yeah, but you’ll never know if Kara and Sam find it unusual unless you _tell them_. Lena, c’mon. You’re, like, twenty years old and you run the most successful business on the west coast. Surely you can muster up the courage to do this.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“Is that really what you’re going to take away from what I just said?”

Lena groans and cradles her forehead in her hands. “This seems impossible.”

“It seemed impossible to rehabilitate Luthor Corp’s image, and look at you now. C’mon, Lena, take a leap of faith. It’s what this is going to take.”

Deep down, Lena knows that she’s right, but she’s not sure if she’s willing to verbalize that just right now. So, instead, she politely bids Maggie a good night and watches as the door closes behind her.

* * *

Sam’s attempt at avoiding Kara quickly goes awry, since she knows she’s being childish and because she really needs her to pick up Ruby. Her discomfort over the direction of their relationship is still simmering in her gut, though. It’s all so much, seemingly so quickly. Kara sleeping in her bed. Kara making breakfast for her daughter. Kara picking up her daughter from school. Kara seeping into every single aspect of her life, without warning. After having been alone for so long, with most of her “relationships” being regrettable one-night stands or short runs of uninteresting dates, experiencing something that feels so real is beginning to terrify her.

So, when she drives into the parking lot of what Ruby has dubbed _their_ burger joint (the third best in the entire city but the best for Ruby and Kara), she’s feeling anxious and on edge.

Sam white-knuckles the steering wheel as they drive, the best way she can see to feel in control of any part of this situation. Ruby and Kara are ignorant to the thoughts swirling in her head as they chatter on about school and music and whatever else comes to their minds. Kara is so good with Ruby that it seems impossible, and yet here’s the evidence unfolding right before her eyes.

Once they get back to Sam’s apartment, Ruby runs off to her room to do whatever it is teenagers do when alone in their rooms while Kara continues to talk, perhaps ignorant to how quiet Sam is being.

“Oh, I got Ruby to start thinking about taking science classes at a community college this summer! It’s what I did and it really gave me a leg up when I did go to college.”

Of all things, that’s what sets Sam off. “Kara, what are you doing?”

Kara cocks her head to the side, clearly confused at Sam’s harsh tone. “I’m just helping her out.”

“Uh huh,” Sam hums dismissively as she tosses her purse onto the kitchen counter.

“What’s going on?” Kara asks bluntly. “Did I do something to upset you?”

Even in the moment, a part of Sam knows she’s being unfair. Still, though, she sees no better outlet for all of her anxiety and fear.

“Kara, I’m her mother,” Sam snaps. “You can’t be making decisions like this without me.”

“I’m not making any decisions! I just told her that the opportunity is out there and it could really help her.”

“You think you know what’s best for her?”

“I don’t know! I thought you would like this!”

Kara sounds so confused and distraught and Sam knows she’s just twisting the knife now, but the train has lost its brakes now. She can’t go back.

“Are you doing this for her or to impress me?”

Kara clenches her jaw, her face harsher and more angular than it normally is. “Sam, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Oh, I’m not?”

“Sam, c’mon,” Kara pleads. “Help me understand. If I did anything to upset you, I…”

“Kara, get out of my apartment.”

Kara’s eyes are wide with shock. “What?”

Sam feels more guilty than anything else, but she sets her face into an impassive mask, more for her than it is for Kara. “I’m not repeating myself.”

Kara is about to keep arguing until she sees the look in Sam’s eyes – one of anger and hurt, of course, but also of fear more than anything else. Without saying another word, Kara marches out of the apartment, leaving Sam leaning against the granite countertop, breathing hard like she’s just ran a marathon. 

* * *

Lena wants to blame it on Maggie when she finds herself outside Kara’s apartment, watching as Kara herself comes storming down the hallway, a stony expression on her face that gives way to confusion.

“Lena?”

“Kara, I wanted to – are you okay?”

Kara chews on her lower lip, unable to meet Lena’s gaze, before she slumps against the wall.

“I don’t know. I had a really weird fight with Sam.”

She goes to unlock the front door and Lena simply stands there, unsure of what to say, her fingers threaded together.

“Would you like to come in? I kind of want someone to talk to about this.”

Lena’s heart is thrumming in her chest, even though she can recognize the normalcy of this situation. Friends support friends when they’re having trouble in their relationships (though most friends aren’t on the verge of admitting their desires for a polyamorous relationship, a little voice in her head says). Still, though, Lena pushes her feelings as deep down as they can possibly go and plasters a smile on her face.

“Of course. What are friends for?”

Kara flashes her a tired smile. “You’re so sweet. I’ll order us some food; I’m definitely not in the mood to cook anything.”

Lena swallows harshly and nods, finding it increasingly difficult to formulate any words when her mind strays so dangerously close to her desires for both Kara and Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? Everyone is bad at talking about their feelings! Also it was really tough finding conflict between Kara and Sam, the real problem with them is that they both have way too much top energy lol. Comments/kudos are incredibly appreciated!! 
> 
> Also, if you want, follow me on my [Tumblr](http://movepastthefeeling.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MPTF_Fics)


	6. Communicating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've been busy, as always, but there's no way I'm abandoning this fic. I'm going to make this work, god damn it. 
> 
> Also, I'm thinking of dumping my unfinished fics on here (I have so, so many of them), since I want to work on writing/publishing my original works. As much as I love writing fanfic, it does take up a lot of my free time. Anyway, let me know if that's something you guys would be interested in, I have a bunch of half-finished Supergirl fics (and fics of all fandoms) just sitting on my laptop. 
> 
> Also also, if someone guesses what song I'm referencing in the chapter title I'll be very impressed lol

“So, that’s what she said. I don’t really know what to make of it.”

Kara, perhaps unwilling to meet Lena’s gaze, stares down at her chopsticks.

“Look, Sam is a complicated woman,” Lena says. “You know that by now, I’m sure. She’s tough and smart and strong, but she’s also been a single mother for years.”

Kara anxiously taps her chopsticks against her plate, nearly in rhythm with the bouncing of her leg. “You’re saying that she’s not used to being in a relationship.”

Lena sighs. What exquisite torture, she muses, that she’s forced to give relationship advice regarding the two women she’s so desperately interested in.

“That’s what I’m saying. Congratulations, Kara, you’ve been in a relationship with Sam longer than anyone else has by about a month.”

“Things were going so well.”

The mean part of Lena’s brain sends a nasty thought through her head – why not give bad advice? Why not let this relationship crumble so that Lena can swoop in and pick up the pieces? Lena clenches her fist and pushes those thoughts into the furthest recesses of her mind; there’s no way she could betray her friends like that.

“Things were also progressing very quickly. Did you ever talk to her about that? About boundaries? About her daughter?”

Kara suddenly looks very guilty and that manages to make Lena feel even worse than she already has been. Still, though, Lena is here for Kara and Sam’s relationship, not anything else. Nothing else at all.

“I guess not,” Kara finally says. “I was just going with what feels right, but I never even stopped to think how she would – shit.”

Lena flinches at that, given that Kara never swears, almost to a fault.

Kara rubs her eyes with the heels of her palms. “I’m such an idiot. I need to go and fix this.”

She stands up as if she’s about to sprint over to Sam’s apartment, so Lena grabs her wrist and tugs her back down to the sofa.

“Kara, Sam is going to need a bit of time.”

“But…”

“You care about her, right? Give her some time.”

Kara groans, but remains seated. “You’re right, of course. You know her really well, don’t you?”

Lena tries and fails to ignore the little thrill of pride that goes through her when she hears that. “I suppose I do. We’ve been friends for a long time.”

“I’ve always admired your friendship. Reminds me of me and my sister.”

Lena tries to hide the way she winces, because that hurts more than it should have.

“Yeah, we’ve always been close.”

A sudden surge of affection for Sam suddenly overcomes Lena, and she realizes that she really can’t do this any longer. She clears her throat and stands, smoothing the wrinkles of her pencil skirt with anxious hands.

“I really need to get going,” Lena says, trying her hardest to come up with an excuse that doesn’t sound obviously, pathetically untrue. “I have a…”

“Oh, shoot, I’ve kept you for too long,” Kara says, always too kind and too thoughtful. “Thank you so much for coming over, I’m sure this isn’t what you had in mind – why were you over here, anyway?”

“What, a girl can’t see her best friend when she wants to?” Lena asks, trying to keep her tone light even as another wave of anxiety assaults her. “I’ll see you around, Kara.”

Kara smiles brightly at her and Lena manages to feel guilty even for that, to bask in her warmth and kindness like she’s trying to take it all for herself.

“Yeah, be seeing you.”

* * *

It only takes a day for Sam to call up Lena for advice.

Lena know she should’ve seen this coming; all the signs pointed to this. Sam and Kara both are her best friends, and who best to give them both relationship advice? Lena wonders if she really is too nice, as her brother had often accused her of being, as she finds herself in the back of one of her cars, being driven to Sam’s apartment.

The drive is short, thankfully, so she at least is spared from the horrible fate of being trapped inside her own head for too long in the leather prison that is the backseat of her second favorite BMW.

Sam is leaning against the kitchen island when Lena walks in, a glass of wine cradled in her hand. It’s deeply unfair how good Sam looks, Lena decides, even with bags beneath her eyes and the old t-shirt and joggers she’s dressed in.

“Ruby’s at a friend’s house,” Sam says. “Thanks for coming over.”

Lena plasters on a smile. “Of course. What are friends for, right?”

“Yeah, right,” Sam says, managing something of a grin. “I think I fucked things up, Lee.”

“What happened?” Lena asks, weighing in her mind whether it would be better or worse to say that she’s already spoken with Kara.

Sam takes a long sip of her wine before answering. “I freaked out. I don’t know what happened. I kicked Kara out of my apartment.”

“I talked to her already,” Lena decides to confess. “I happened to be over at her apartment right after that fight. I have a good idea of what happened.”

The anxious part of Lena’s mind expects Sam to lash out or be furious, but she just sighs instead. “Yeah, makes sense. You two are close, after all. So, you know exactly what I did.”

“Sort of. I’d like to hear your side of things.”

“Look, I – I just panicked. Kara’s become such a big part of not only my life but Ruby’s life as well, and I felt like I barely even noticed. It’s all been so easy.”

“You know that I like making things as difficult on myself as possible, so I understand where you’re coming from, but isn’t that a good thing? That it’s all easy?”

Sam stares down at her hands. “I suppose so. I just haven’t been in a relationship for so long, and now Kara comes along and I really like her. Ruby really likes her, too. I’m terrified of what might happen if it all falls apart.”

Lena has to try her hardest to swallow down her reaction. It isn’t surprising that Ruby likes Kara, since everyone likes Kara, but that is revealing as to just how serious their relationship is. Lena refuses to feel jealous, even as that emotion bubbles up in her gut.

“I’ve been told that we shouldn’t be afraid to do things because they might end. I don’t know if I’ve ever really taken that advice to heart, but I’m told it’s quite helpful.”

Sam snorts. “You’re such a mess.”

“Very rude, Samantha,” Lena says, a crooked grin on her face. “Look, I don’t know if I’m the best person to come to for relationship advice. What I can say as your – your best friend is that you absolutely deserve a wonderful relationship like this. And you need to stop freaking out, because you’re a mess, too.”

Sam laughs, finally, and relief washes over Lena.

“Alright, fine, Luthor. You got me. Could I tempt you to stay with some wine? If I’m alone here in this apartment I’ll probably end up doing work on my laptop. God, I sound like you.”

Lena chews on her lower lip. She knows she should stay and keep Sam company; it’s what a good friend would do, after all. But, with all of those unfortunate, romantic feelings clutching at her heart, she’s not sure if she could trust herself along with Sam. But, given the raw, vulnerability in Sam’s eyes, Lena knows she can’t refuse.

“I’ll stay,” Lena says, grabbing the bottle of wine off the table and pouring herself a glass. “Wow, you finally broke out that 50-dollar bottle. I see becoming CFO has really corrupted you.”

Sam laughs again, which fills Lena with a sense of accomplishment that she’d be hard-pressed to replicate anywhere else.

“I don’t think any other CEO hates rich people as much as you do.”

“I’m a scientist at heart. I’ve spent enough time as a researcher begging for money to know to hate them all.”

Sam snorts. “You and Kara. Both such bleeding hearts.”

“I like to think we both have accurate assessments of the world. Besides, you and I both know I never would’ve become CEO if not for…”

Lena swallows the end of that sentence – even with the time that’s passed, the circumstances surrounding her brother’s arrest and her subsequent ascendance to CEO of L-Corp are still difficult for her to speak about. Sam’s expression softens.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lena is quick – perhaps too quick, she thinks – to answer. “Sorry. Ignore me. This night is about you, anyway.”

Sam rolls her eyes. “Lena, you’re my friend, too. We don’t need to only talk about my relationship angst. I know you’re still hurting from that; I’m always here if you need to talk.”

Lena sighs. “It’s fine, really. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, in that case…” Sam grabs the bottle of wine and refills Lena’s glass.

Lena looks at Sam, a single eyebrow raised and a playful grin on her face.

They end up on the couch hours later, watching some awful TV show they found on the LGBT section of Netflix. Two obviously straight actresses are kissing on screen and Lena swears it’s causing her actual pain – though that’s assuaged by the feeling of Sam resting her head on her shoulder. It’s not like they’ve never ended up like this before at the end of the night, but now that Lena’s accepted her feelings towards her best friends, it feels fraught with danger and just a little exciting.

Lena’s drunk. She and Sam have already gone through one entire bottle of wine and have cracked open a second, an expensive bottle that Sam received from one of L-Corp’s many clients. Now that she’s drunk, the dueling voices in her head – the one that’s constantly pontificating upon her attraction towards Kara and Sam and the other that shames her for wanting to interject herself into her friend’s relationship – have gotten even louder.

“Why are we watching this crap?” Sam’s voice breaks through her deafening thoughts.

“You were the one who said you wanted to watch women making out.”

“I made a mistake. As a professional queer, I’m terribly offended by this.”

Lena snorts. “You’re getting paid to be bi, are you?”

“Whatever, you know what I mean. Remember when we would make out in college?”

Lena feels like she just received a shot of adrenaline to the heart – her pulse becomes rapid and her entire body feels suffused with energy, like she could spring off the couch and run a marathon. She does remember, though, perhaps all too well.

“I do,” Lena says, trying her hardest to keep her voice light – for once, she’s thankful for all the media training she’s received. “You’re an alright kisser, from what I remember.”

Lena expects Sam to laugh and make fun of her in turn, but instead, Sam just looks at her for what feels like a terribly long moment, the meaning of which is lost on her as it’s happening. For half a second, Lena thinks she sees Sam’s eyes flit down to her lips, but she can’t imagine that being anything other than wishful thinking.

Lena returns home later that night, still buzzed from the wine and the sensation of Sam’s head upon her shoulder, and she tries her hardest not to cry.

* * *

“You’re still freaking out about talking to Sam, aren’t you?” 

Kara, drenched in sweat and still breathing hard, takes a few moments to answer. “What makes you say that?”

Alex grabs Kara’s phone off the kitchen countertop and unlocks it (Kara makes a mental note to change her password).

“Well, it looks like you just went on a 10k and finished it in – good lord, forty-five minutes. That’s a stress run if I’ve ever seen one. No wonder you’re sweating into your nice, new couch.”

Kara groans, trying not to think of how disgusting she must look with wisps of hair clinging to her face and the pattern of sweat in her sports bra. “What do you want, Alex?”

“Ouch, someone has an attitude today. Why haven’t you talked to Sam?”

“Because Lena told me to give her some time.”

“Yeah, but it’s nearly been a week. I think this plan to wait may be working against you.”

Kara pushes herself off the couch with a huff and brushes past Alex to grab a bottle of Gatorade from her fridge, which she begins to chug. Alex wrinkles her nose at the sight.

“I can’t believe nobody else believes you’re a jock. Please stop chugging that neon green monstrosity and take a shower; you stink. Also, go and talk to Sam.”

“Why are you being so mean to me?” Kara whines.

“Because I’m the best big sister in the entire world. Also because I’ve been on both sides of relationship drama like this and even I know that talking things out is generally pretty good. Go and talk to Sam.”

Kara once again groans dramatically, though she does set down the sports drink.

“Fine, will. Look, Alex I’m just – I’m scared. I really don’t want to screw things up with Sam. I really like her.”

Alex’s expression softens and she goes over to rub Kara’s arm, sweat and all. “I know you do. You’re scared because this kind of thing _is_ scary, especially since you haven’t had a fight like this with her yet. But, I’m sure that she’s feeling the exact same way.”

Kara rubs the bridge of her nose and walks off towards the bathroom without another word.

“Hey, take a quick shower, grumpy! I don’t want to miss our brunch reservation!” Alex calls after her.

She receives a grunt in response.

“I can’t believe you ran a 10k before brunch. Weirdo!”

Kara does shower quickly, much to Alex’s relief, and they enjoy the mid-morning sun as they walk to the restaurant. They make their reservation with minutes to spare, which is good, since Kara knows the teasing never would’ve stopped if her run had interrupted their brunch.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Kara asks once they’re seated.

Alex looks at her strangely. “Why do you think I want to talk about something?”

“Because you’re paying for my meal at the second fanciest all-you-can-eat brunch place in the city. Also because you’ve been teasing me even more than you normally do, which either means you’re in a really good mood or you’re nervous.”

“Wow, I sound completely insane when you put it like that. Okay, fine, I do have something to talk to you about.”

Alex exhales audibly, looking a little green around the gills. Kara smiles warmly at her and reaches out to give her hand a comforting squeeze.

“I want to renew our vows. I want to have a proper ceremony, too; one that Maggie deserves. I mean, I loved our courthouse wedding and all that it did for our U-Haul lesbian image, but man, that pissed Mom off.”

“And me! I love elaborate weddings. I’m a famously great wedding guest, as you know.”

Alex is still drumming her fingers against the table and doesn’t quite meet Kara’s gaze, which is confusing. Kara furrows her brow.

“What is it?” Kara asks. “I mean, this is so exciting! You guys must be happy about this, right?”

“Well, that’s the thing. I haven’t exactly brought this up with Maggie yet.”

Kara opens her mouth to speak, a look of concern on her face, but Alex stops her with a quick wave of her hand.

“I don’t think she’ll say no, and even if she does, we’re goddamn married in the eyes of the law anyway. But I want to come up with a fun, obnoxiously over-the-top way of asking her. I don’t know, it’s stressing me out. This is why I famously don’t like to have any fun.”

Kara rolls her eyes. “Your idea of fun involves getting into barfights and challenging old NRA gun nuts at the range to shooting competitions, so that’s probably for the best.”

“Rude. Look, will you help me come up with a way to ask Maggie to marry me? I mean, to renew our vows and have a crazy reception?" 

Kara lights up. “I’ve planned this exact scenario so many times. This one is going to be amazing.”

“Wow, the way you just smiled there? Terrifying.”

Kara deflates slightly. “I hate you.”

* * *

Alex hugs Kara goodbye, leaving her standing there in the liminal space between her apartment and the hallway. She’s tempted to just walk out right then and there and head straight to Sam’s place, but she shuts the door instead and putters about for the rest of the afternoon. By the time that dinner rolls around, she’s talked herself out of going to see Sam and contents herself with eating alone, staring at the setting sun through the kitchen windows.

* * *

The next day, Kara, annoyed with herself, goes straight to the gym after breakfast and works the punching bag until the skin on her knuckles breaks, something that hasn’t happened to her in a long time. As she’s cleaning up her hands, she realizes she can’t wait any longer.

It’s an easy bus ride to Sam’s apartment, and before she can talk herself out of it again, she’s knocking on her door. It takes Sam a few seconds to answer the door, and Kara is unsurprised to see that Lena is there, looking suddenly small and insecure sitting there on the couch.

“I think we need to talk.”

Sam regards her for a moment, and finally, Kara understands why everyone finds her so terrifying. She’s tall and her features look so much sharper when she’s not smiling like she does so often around Kara.

“It took you long enough.”

Lena murmurs something about needing to leave and she ghosts out of the apartment like she was never even there, looking terribly sad. Sam reaches out and lets her hand drift against Lena’s lower back.

“I – I just wanted to apologize,” Kara says, her fingers woven together. “I’ve been thinking things over and I realized we never really talked about our relationship and what that meant for you and especially your daughter. So, I’m sorry.”

Sam lets out a breath that it seems she had been holding in for a while and slumps against the wall, looking smaller and softer than before.

“I’m sorry too. I don’t know what to say. I panicked.”

Kara wants to reach out and pull her into a hug, but she’s not sure if that’s appropriate right now, so she holds onto her elbows instead.

“I know I play it cool, but I’m no good at this,” Sam continues. “I haven’t been in a relationship for so long. You’re going to have to take it easy on me, Kara.”

They both crack a grin at that. Finally, Kara can’t resist any longer, and she reaches out to squeeze Sam’s hand.

“I completely understand. I have a lot of friends but my romantic relationships have been, well, disastrous. I just like you so much that I wanted it all – to wake up next to you, to share your burdens, all of it. Maybe I’m greedy.”

Sam grins crookedly at that. “I thought we established that I was the greedy one.”

They both laugh, though it’s still a little stilted and awkward.

“So, are we okay?” Kara asks. “Can we work through this.”

“Yeah, Danvers, I think we can. Just give me a little time. Let me sleep over at your apartment for a bit.”

Kara smiles at her. “I can give you all the time you need. And please, talk to me about what’s bothering you. I don’t want us to blow up at each other again.”

“Yeah, this week wasn’t fun.”

“I agree. Well, look at us. We got through our first fight.”

“We did.”

Kara looks at Sam for just a moment before she draws her in for a tight hug, relief washing over her. She’s had disagreements and fights in her relationships before, but they never seemed to get resolved in a proper way, leaving her always on unstable footing. With Sam, though, things seem different. Sam has always been different.

Sam opens her mouth as if to speak, but she cocks her head to the side, picking up on something. Kara hears it a moment later – the faint sound of someone sobbing.

“Do you – ” Sam asks.

Kara nods. “Ruby isn’t home, is she?”

“No, she has an extra soccer practice today. It sounds close.”

Sam glances towards her front door. Kara’s gaze follows suit, and she moves to open it.

“Lena?” Sam asks, surprised.

Lena is leaning against the wall just outside Sam’s apartment, tears dripping down her cheeks and her eyes red and puffy. When she sees the door open, though, she quickly swipes her hand across her face to dry her tears, stands up straight, and takes a deep, shaky breath. Kara’s heart breaks for her.

“I’m sorry,” she says, slipping easily into her authoritative, CEO voice in an attempt to avoid any quavers or tremors in her tone. “I should get going. I’m sorry.”

“Lena, what’s wrong?” Sam asks, clearly bewildered. “Are you okay?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Lena says. “It’s silly. Let me just…”

She turns to leave, but Kara reaches out and grabs her wrist. “Lena, please. Just talk to us.”

“Yeah, we’re here for you,” Sam adds.

Lena looks at the two of them, guilt and fear splayed across her face.

“I – it’s you two,” she finally says, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” 

Lena walks off, her heels drumming out a quick staccato rhythm against the floor. Kara is so shocked by this admission that she can’t find anything to say, though that isn’t a problem that Sam shares. Sam’s expression hardens and she quickly catches up with Lena.

“Lena, come on,” Sam says. “It’s me and Kara? That’s why you’re crying in the hallway of my apartment building? You have to know how this looks!” 

“It’s not like that!” Lena says, turning on Sam.

“Then what is it like?” Sam asks. “Lena, please, talk to me. I know you don’t like me pushing you, but damn it, give me something.”

“I – I…” Lena stammers, looking from Kara to Sam, and back again. “God, do you really want to know?”

“I think we both do,” Kara says.

Lena takes a deep, shuddering breath and stares down at her hands. “I have feelings. For the both of you. This isn’t how I was planning on telling you, but…”

Kara feels as if she’s been struck by lightning. Anxiety rises up within her and she feels as if she’s bursting with nervous energy. She needs to go and run or hit something; to do anything but stand there.

“Lena, we – we can talk this out,” Sam says, softly. “We’ve had harder conversations than this. We can work through this.”

“I don’t want to work through this,” Lena says, frustrated. “I want – I want…”

Kara knows exactly how that sentence ends. She doesn’t like it, it’s all too much too fast, too big of a shift in her thinking. Too greedy for her to accept something like this, something that she knows that, deep down, she would want. At least something she wouldn’t say no to.

So, without saying a word, she brushes past Lena on her way out of the apartment building and takes the stairs down, leaving Lena and Sam stunned in her wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara angst!!! The reveal!!!!! 
> 
> Also, I'm giving Alex something of an actual story besides giving advice to all the disaster gays, since she's great and I love her


	7. Constant Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I got this one in on time!
> 
> Anyway, this one gets pretty serious. Put on some sad music

Sam is waiting outside of her apartment when she gets back, feeling drunk and even worse than before. Kara smiles weakly at her, and Sam’s expression is stormy, like she can’t quite decide if she wants to be angry or caring. She decides on the latter when she sees the state that Kara is in, and she rushes up to support her as she stumbles.

“Alex told me you were out drinking,” Sam says.

“Of course she did,” Kara sighs.

“How are you feeling?” Sam asks, working on fishing Kara’s apartment key out of her purse.

Kara chuckles humorlessly and shrugs. “I don’t know! I don’t know. I mean, how are you feeling? We were both there when Lena…”

Her voice trails off as she finds it just a little too much to put it into words. Sam just shakes her head as she unlocks Kara’s door.

“Let’s get you situated, first. Then we can talk.”

Sam sits Kara down on the living room sofa before she heads over to the kitchen, returning with tall glass of water. Kara rolls her eyes.

“I’m not that drunk.”

“I know, you’re bulking right now and you’re at 100% body fat. Drink the water.”

Kara pouts at her. “You’re as tough on me as Alex is.”

“Oh, your sister who you love very much? I’ll take that compliment,” Sam says, before her expression softens. “Besides, would you like me as much if I wasn’t so tough?”

Kara takes a big gulp of water. “No, I wouldn’t. Are we still together?”

Sam looks like she’s just been splashed in the face by freezing water. “Of course we are. Did you think we weren’t?”

“I don’t know, this whole Lena thing has me so confused! I’m sorry.”

Sam sighs and wraps her arm around Kara’s shoulders. Kara rests her cheek against Sam’s shoulder, taking in the other woman’s comforting warmth; it seems unfair that they seem to be on unsteady ground again, so soon. They’re good together, Kara knows this.

“Me too,” Sam says. “I mean, with the history I have with Lena – oh, wow, I suppose I need to tell you about that, too.”

“We’ve gotta get better at communicating, right?” Kara asks, offering up a weak smile. “Alex mentioned something about it.”

“Yeah, well, Lena and I.”

Sam takes a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, and Kara reaches out to squeeze her hand. Kara feels such a surge of affection for her and can’t help but wish that things would just be simple between the two of them, like they were in the beginning.

“Lena and I danced around a relationship for a long time in college,” Sam continues. “She was very sweet, always helping me out with my classes or with Ruby. Nobody else was willing to do that, to even be friends with the single mom in college, let alone help support her. I think it helped we were both outsiders – she was too young for college, and I was a little too old, and I had a kid.”

“Lena’s a sweetheart,” Kara is saying before she realizes it.

“She is.”

Sam stares down at her hands for a long moment, before turning to Kara.

“Are you sure you want to hear all of this?”

Kara’s not so sure. It’s hard enough hearing about your partner’s exes, especially when the one in question is also your best friend. But her heart is twisted up with all of the emotions she’s feelings, especially after her talk with Alex. What _about_ her crush on Lena? Where has she put those feelings; has she buried them with everything else she can’t or won’t deal with?

“I do,” Kara says. “We need to get everything out on the table, even as much as that sucks.”

“Well, our relationship became physical.”

Kara pulls a face at that, an unpleasant emotion uncoiling in her gut.

“I’m sorry, it wasn’t like that,” Sam corrects. “We never went beyond kissing.”

Kara’s not sure if that’s any better, but she stays silent. In her mind, she pictures a younger Sam and Lena in one of their small, off-campus apartments, tenderly kissing in the intimacy of the low light. It might be worse.

“What happened?” Kara asks.

 _You aren’t together now_ remains unspoken.

“Well – her brother was arrested in the middle of the school year, before we had a chance to talk about our relationship. And that was that.”

Kara sits up a little straighter at that. “That’s when it happened?”

“It was,” Sam says, voice thick with emotion. “God, it’s still so awful to think about. Lena just closed herself off from the world, even from me. She refused to talk about anything. And then she knew she was taking over the company as soon as she graduated – it was a mess. The day of Lex’s trial she came to my apartment and cried on my shoulder for about an hour, and when she was done, she just left without saying a word. That was the last time I saw her for years.”

Kara can feel the weight of Sam’s sadness, none of its edges dulled by the passage of time. She feels for Lena, who’s spent so much of her life cut off from any sense of normalcy. She feels far too sober now.

“And when she reached out to you about the position, you just accepted?”

“It was surreal, hearing from her again, but she clearly needed help and I could give that to her. Besides, time had passed. Things had changed.”

“But you never dated anyone after that?”

Sam shakes her head. “Not seriously.” A smile graces her features, and Kara falls for her all over again. “Not until you.”

“What makes me so special?” Kara asks, barely audible.

Sam pauses, taking in what Kara’s just said. “You can’t really be asking that.”

Kara looks away, unable to meet Sam’s warm, kind gaze.

“Is that what this is about?” Sam asks, voice softer than before.

Kara takes a deep breath and presses her lips tightly together, lest all of her insecurities come tumbling out of her mouth. Sam gives her shoulders a squeeze.

“Kara, you are incredible, and I know you don’t need me to tell you that. You’re smart, funny, thoughtful, caring, and so incredibly kind. You are so much more than worthy of my affection, and of Lena’s.”

Kara stares down at her hands as she makes shapes with her fingers. She mulls over what she’s about to say, since it’s a truth that she doesn’t divulge to very many people.

“I was adopted when I was young. Thirteen. Now, I got lucky with the Danvers, but I had such a hard time adjusting. Have I ever told you what happened to my parents?”

Sam shakes her head. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”

“No, I think I have to,” Kara says, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “My parents were in Kaznia – my mom was working on a legal team there, helping to extradite some American prisoners. My dad got clearance to go as well; he called it ‘scientific curiosity.’ Kaznia has been locked in an on-and-off civil war for decades now, but it was a time of peace. Or so we thought.

While my parents were still there, a right-wing extremist group launched a coup against the government. ‘Sons of Kaznia,’ they called themselves, I’ll never forget it. My parents were caught in the crossfire. And that was that.”

Kara chuckles, though it’s a dark, humorless sound.

“A man in a suit told me my parents had died. I never learned his name. With no family to turn to, I was put into the system.”

“Oh, Kara, I’m so sorry,” Sam says, holding her tightly, as if that could protect her from the horrors the world has inflicted upon her.

“I don’t think I’m unworthy of affection. I just know how quickly everything can change.” 

Sam just nods, unable to find any words to say.

Kara nods, tears slowly streaking down her cheeks. “I’m terrified of losing anyone. A little melodramatic, huh?”

“No, not at all,” Sam murmurs. “Not at all.”

“I thought I was doing alright when I was just with you. But when Lena goes and confesses that – it’s just too much.”

“It’s okay, Kara. We don’t have to think about that right now. We don’t have to make any decisions right this second.”

“Yeah, but Lena is out there right now, hurting. I know she is. She was crying right as we were making up, and oh, god, we made her listen to the problems we were having. She decided to help us both, even with how she felt.”

Sam holds Kara as she cries and cries until she’s so exhausted that she can’t anymore. When her eyelids droop and her limbs feel heavy, Sam picks her up with a grunt of exertion and carries her to her bed.

* * *

Kara wakes up the next morning to a dull throbbing in her head and light shining through the curtains, cracked open just a hair. Sam is sleeping beside her, dressed now in nothing but one of Kara’s old, oversized t-shirts, looking radiant with her hair splayed out on the pillow around her and a strip of light illuminated a patch of her skin.

Sam comes to slowly, to see Kara looking at her, and she smiles. Kara can’t resist any longer and she leans in to kiss her on the lips, soft and slow, and thanks whatever gods or greater powers might be out there that have allowed her to continue to do this.

“Thank you,” Kara murmurs against her lips. “Thank you for listening last night.”

“My pleasure, Danvers,” Sam says back, equally reverent.

They take the morning slow, neither of them wanting to rush into anything, and they make breakfast together. They don’t talk much but they move easily together in the kitchen and they share smiles and lingering touches when they can. Kara’s heart still feels heavy, but the burden is halved by Sam’s mere presence and her strong, silent understanding.

It’s Kara who finds her confidence first.

“You know, I did have a crush on Lena when I first met her,” Kara says, her voice unsteady and unsure.

Sam chuckles. “You’re telling me that you had a crush on a dark-haired woman in a position of power? Shocking.”

Kara feels relieved that they can joke about this and a little offended by Sam’s analysis.

“Hey, that’s…”

“Completely true?” Sam butts in. “I don’t blame you, Kara. She has that effect on people.”

Kara nods, staring down at her plate of food for a moment. They fall into silence after that, though while not uncomfortable, feels uneasy compared to how they were before.

“Do you ever still think of her?” Kara asks, and they both know exactly what she means.

“I – Kara, do you really want to know?”

Kara’s not so sure if she wants to know so much as she needs to. So, she nods. “I do. This is something we have to talk about, given everything that’s happened.”

Sam sighs, pushing back a few errant strands of her hair. “Then, I’ll say this – Lena is a hard person to forget.”

“I can’t disagree with that.”

“Are we really discussing this?” Sam asks, before chuckling nervously. “I will remind you that I just had a freak-out because I couldn’t handle one wonderful, loving girlfriend in my life; I don’t know how I’d react to having another.”

“I think I’m clearly not ready for it either,” Kara says, grinning crookedly. “I just – we need to get it all out in the open.”

“What about Lena? Until we make some kind of a decision, I don’t want to just ignore her. I mean, we’re friends, and we work together.”

Kara presses her lips together, deep in thought.

“Maybe we should talk to her,” she finally says.

* * *

Lena doesn’t answer any of their texts or calls, so without any other options, they show up at her downtown penthouse. Kara and Sam have long ago been cleared by security, so they’re allowed to go right up. They exchange a glance as they’re outside of the front door to Lena’s apartment, and with a deep breath, Kara reaches out and tentatively knocks twice.

Everything is silent for a long moment, until there’s a quiet shuffling of feet and the quiet, mechanical grind of the locks opening. Finally, the door swings open to reveal Lena, standing there dressed in a fluffy bathrobe, her hair messy.

“Oh, hello,” Lena says, her voice flat. “I’m glad you’re here, actually. I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day and if I’ve made either of you uncomfortable, I wasn’t in a good state of mind…”

“Lena, please,” Sam says, reaching out and squeezing her upper arm. “Is it alright if we come in?”

Lena looks from Sam to Kara, and the back to Sam. For a moment, Kara thinks she’s going to say no, but she inclines her head ever so slightly and stands back. That’s enough for them. As they step inside, they can’t help but notice the empty bottle of wine on the coffee table in the living room and the accompanying wine glass, a sliver of red at the bottom of the bowl.

The penthouse, with its cavernous ceiling and strict adherence to blacks, whites, and browns in its design, feels uncomfortable and oppressive. The silence weighs heavily upon them all.

“We just wanted to talk,” Kara says, twisting her hands together. “About what happened the other day.”

“Of course,” Lena says, still talking in the muted tones of her media-trained CEO voice. “I understand if you two don’t want to see me anymore. Sam, I know we have to work together, but I promise that I can maintain a level of professionalism in the…”

“Lena, please,” Sam interrupts. “Please just stop. We’re not going to cut you out of our lives. We don’t want that at all.”

For the first time, a flit of emotion comes across Lena’s face, one of surprise.

“Really?” she asks, her voice soft.

“Of course,” Kara says. “You’re our friend, Lena. You mean so much to us.”

“And we’re not…” Sam begins to say, before taking a deep breath. Kara reaches out to squeeze her hand. “We’re not opposed to the idea of your affections. You know.”

Sam sighs and sits down heavily on the couch. “I guess nobody ever teaches you how to talk about this sort of thing.”

“We’re open to it, just give us some time,” Kara says kindly. “Everything is confusing right now.”

“I understand, but…” Lena says, swallowing harshly. “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can let you give me hope like this.”

“We’re not here to lead you on, Lena,” Sam says.

“I know you don’t mean to do it, but think of this from my perspective,” Lena says. “When will you be ready? How long can I keep swallowing these feelings? Clearly that didn’t work out for me before.”

“Lena, we don’t want to…” Kara begins, but Lena cuts her off with a wave of her hand.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I just don’t think this is going to work,” Lena says, before taking a deep breath. “I think it would be best if you two left.”

Sam rises to her feet, looking ready to argue, but Kara places her hand on her shoulder. Without saying another word, Sam stares at Lena for a moment longer, before she turns on her heels and starts walking out of the apartment, with Kara right behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, what did you think? A lot of truths get revealed! Kara's had a crazy difficult life and I'm not even done exploring that! Lena is standing up for herself! Sam is trying her best! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! Even leaving notes in the tags of your bookmarks is lovely!!
> 
> Also, next chapter will be a little happier and will have 100% more Ruby in it
> 
> Also also, in honor of the chapter title, please comment what your fav Passion Pit song is


	8. Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but this fic has been tough to write. Turns out a poly relationship is confusing to parse, who knew?? Also I spent some time writing my [Bon Appetit/Gourmet Makes Supergirl AU fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20404048), which you should really check out, hint hint lol

“Honey, I’m home,” Alex shouts.

Maggie emerges from the kitchen, an amused expression on her face. “Oh, babe, you know I hate it when you say that!”

“And I hate it when you call me babe,” Alex says, smiling brightly at her lovely wife. “C’mere, you.”

Alex eagerly dumps her bag on the floor and wraps her wife up in her arms, kissing her firmly on the lips. Maggie can’t help but giggle into the kiss, leading to an infamous Danvers pout from Alex.

“What’s so funny?” Alex asks.

“Sorry, you just seem so eager. Good day at work?”

Alex pecks her quickly on the lips. “Well, you know how much I love busting out the bone saws.”

“I take it the surgery went well?” Maggie asks, smoothly extricating herself from Alex’s grasp to pick up her bag.

“Oh, beautifully,” Alex says, unbuttoning her shirt as she makes her way to the bedroom. “Real clean and simple, no complications. Had time for a nice lunch after.”

“They’re paying you that much to have a day like that?” Maggie teases.

“Hey, watch it. I’m still paying off my student loans, you know.”

“Barely. Hey, any update on the poly situation?”

Alex looks down at herself, in just a bra, which she’s in the process of taking off. “I’m shirtless and that’s what you want to talk about?”

“You look great, as always. And don’t worry, we’ll have sex after dinner. I need to know what’s going on with our idiot queer friends.”

Alex rolls her eyes as she tosses her bra aside and hunts for a comfy t-shirt (she finds one, an old band tee gifted to her by Maggie herself).

“Kara says they’re ‘waiting’ until they all feel ‘ready to discuss the situation,’ which sounds an awful lot like stalling to me.”

“Well, this is really new for all of them, and it’s not like any of them are really good at talking about their feelings.”

“God, tell me about it. And Kara says she’s the more emotionally available sister.”

“I did have to coax some of that emotional availability out of you, lover mine,” Maggie says with a grin, before she swats Alex’s butt.

“Ha, real cute,” Alex says, though there’s a playful smile on her face. “Though I can’t disagree with that. So, do you think we need to intervene?”

“Hmm, intervene is such a harsh word. I think we need to nudge them in the right direction, calmly and carefully.”

* * *

So, Alex invites Lena out to brunch that weekend, hoping that a one-on-one setting will put the woman at ease. Lena shows up in a form-fitting black dress and Alex nearly rolls her eyes at the very sight of her – of course she’d show up like _that_ while Alex herself is in a denim shirt and a pair of slim-fitting cargo pants. Kara’s crush on Lena is so utterly unsurprising.

Lena is a bit nervous and skittish, though she’s clearly trying her best to hide that under layers of practiced neutrality. Alex is hoping to assuage some of that anxiety by not talking about anything that’s happened recently, which she thinks will work better than the other conversational tool she has – absolute bluntness.

“Hey,” Alex says, gesticulating with a mini sausage speared to the end of her fork. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Lena looks confused though pleased to be included. “Sure.”

“I’m getting my vows renewed with Maggie, but I haven’t told her about this plan yet. Since you’re the most dramatic person I know, I need advice on how to ask her in some sort of big, romantic way.”

“I’m not – well, congratulations – but I’m not that dramatic.”

“Sheesh, that’s what you’re concerned about? Some friend you are. And yes, you’re absolutely the most dramatic lesbian that I know.”

Lena fixes her with such a withering glare that Alex almost starts laughing. Unlike most other people in the world, Alex has always found that Lena’s attempts to be scary only make her more endearing, like she’s a cat with a lovably grumpy attitude.

“Anyway, that’s not important right now. I need some advice. How would you approach the love of your life with something like this? I’m basically re-proposing to her.”

A tinge of pink appears on Lena’s cheeks, and Alex figures she’s thinking about Sam or Kara, or both, likely.

“I don’t know. I don’t really have a lot of experience with this.”

“You never dreamed about your perfect proposal? Or your dream wedding? Is that not something that rich people do?”

Lena opens her mouth to speak, offended, and Alex cuts her off with a wave of her forkful of food.

“Yeah, yeah, I make a bunch of money now and I grew up in an upper middle class home. Let me make fun of you in peace, Luthor, you own a whole restaurant just because you can. Seriously, what would you do?”

Finally, Lena seems to be considering Alex’s question, and idly moves her food around her plate as she thinks.

“Take her somewhere that means a lot to the two you. Share a good meal. Maybe dance a little. And then tell her how you feel. I don’t know, I’ve always appreciated smaller gestures.”

Alex leans back in her seat impressed.

“Damn, you are a romantic. You’re going to make me cry.” 

“Shut up,” Lena says, blushing.

“I’m serious. I appreciate the help, Lena. You’re a good friend.”

Alex reaches out and squeezes Lena’s hand and she looks about ready to cry, which is the last thing Alex wanted.

“Well, at first I kept you around so I would stop being the rich person everyone makes fun of. Now you’re the easy target, thank goodness. But, you really are a good friend.”

Lena scoffs. “You know Sam makes a lot of money too, right?”

“Yeah, but she’s scary. I’m not going to make fun of her.”

“That makes me feel so much better.”

“You’re welcome. Also, when are you going to take your own advice.”

Lena raises an eyebrow at that. “Excuse me?”

“You know, the whole ‘take ‘em somewhere that means a lot,’ ‘smaller gestures’ thing. I think Sam and Kara would appreciate that. Really work this whole thing out.”

Alex can practically see Lena retreating back into her shell, which is about all she could’ve expected in a moment like this.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Lena says softly.

“Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?”

Lena opens her mouth to speak, and Alex immediately realizes her mistake.

“Don’t answer that. Look, just think about it. They both had to work up the courage to not only tell each other how they felt about you, but they also reached out to you, too. It may be time to reciprocate that display of confidence.”

“Maybe.”

“Just take my advice, Lena, which is really your advice. I’m extremely smart, and you’re not so bad, too. It’s good advice.”

Alex is exceptionally relieved when Lena cracks a grin at that rather than retreating further into her share. She’ll take her victories where she can get them.

* * *

“How did your date with Lena go?”

Alex rolls her eyes and finds herself tempted to flick the sunglasses off the top of her wife’s head. They’re meeting up at a nearby beach to take advantage of this weekend’s particularly fantastic weather now that brunch is done with. 

“It wasn’t a date. And it went fine. We fought over the check at the end.”

“Of course you did. Is she actually going to do anything?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I sure hope she does. I really don’t think that Kara or Sam are going to approach her out of the blue again about any of this.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Alex hums and stares out at the water, the wind playing with her cropped hair.

“Something else on your mind?” Maggie asks.

There is. Her conversation with Lena inspired her, too, and now she really wants to get the ball rolling on the whole vow renewal thing. And what better place to start than at one of National City’s world-famous beaches, beneath the shade of a palm tree?

“Go to dinner with me. Next weekend. At John’s Diner.”

Maggie grins at Alex’s choppy proposition.

“Ah, where we had our first official date. I remember meeting you there after one of your shifts at the hospital; you tore through your tuna melt as you described the surgery you assisted with in excruciating detail.”

“I know, I’m such a charmer. Look, are we doing this or what?”

Alex knows she’s coming off as more than a little anxious and needy, but she is worried about this. Not that Maggie would say no, of course, but this is important. She needs this to happen.

“Of course,” Maggie says, laughing. “You sure seem insistent about this; is something else going on? Wait, is this a ploy to get me to wear my good lingerie?” 

Alex blushes. “Well, I always want you to wear your good lingerie. I’m feeling sentimental, how about that?”

“First time for everything.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

Maggie smiles at her and Alex captures those wonderful lips in a kiss and wonders if she could ever get happier than she is right now.

* * *

“Is something happening with you and Lena?”

Sam is surprised to find her daughter standing so defiantly in the doorway to the home office.

“Why do you ask? Have you been talking to Auntie Alex?”

“Oh, why, does she know something?”

Sam bites back a groan. Her daughter has been getting better and better at outsmarting her, which fills her in equal parts with frustration and pride.

“Never you mind. All friendships have rough patches, and that’s what we’re going through right now.”

“If you say so,” Ruby says, plopping herself down on the armchair in the corner, looking imperious in a very Arias sort of way. “You and Kara are okay, right?”

“Yes, we’re doing very well,” Sam says, focusing on her laptop’s screen to subtly dissuade further conversation.

Ruby groans, leaning her head back against the seat. “You’re being weird. I’m your only daughter, you know, you should tell me things.”

Sam mulls it over in her head. On one hand, she’s not quite sure how to broach the topic of polyamory to her daughter. On the other, though, Ruby has always been mature for her age, and Sam has told her about most of her other forays into romance, even the messy ones, so maybe it’ll be alright.

“I kind of have a lot to tell you,” Sam says, finally.

“I have time,” Ruby says. “I finished my homework.”

Sam chuckles, and launches into an explanation of what’s happened between her, Kara, and Lena, trying to explain Lena’s feelings and the very concept of polyamory as best as she can. Ruby seems to handle it extremely well, not reacting to anything that Sam says, letting her just speak. Though it’s a tad awkward, it feels good to lay it all out on the table, Sam realizes, especially to someone as endlessly understanding as Ruby.

“So, that’s that,” Sam finishes.

Ruby leans back in her seat, deep in thought.

“Look, I don’t understand ‘adult culture’ or whatever, but I don’t get what the big deal is,” she finally says. “Why can’t you and Lena and Kara just be together?”

Sam sighs. “It’s not that simple. There are a lot of feelings involved and a lot of history.”

“Feelings are good, mom, that’s sort of the point,” Ruby says, rolling her eyes. “And history is good too, right? So you know that you and Lena work well together, and obviously you and Kara are fine.”

It seems so simple when Ruby lays it out like that, but Sam has a hard time accepting that. Everything feels so messy and complicated right now. But what if it isn’t? What if Ruby is right, as she so often is?

“I don’t know,” Sam says. “It’s complicated.”

“Whatever, doesn’t seem like it,” Ruby says. “You all like each other. If you don’t figure this out, I’m going to lock you all in a room until you do.”

Ruby jumps off of the chair and heads to her room. Sam tries to be annoyed at her, but that was a pretty implicit endorsement from Ruby. That feels pretty good.

“You’re going to lock us in a room?” Sam calls after her.

“Yeah, mom, it works in the movies!”

Sam shakes her head, a smile on her face. Even with everything that’s happening, she couldn’t imagine loving anyone as much as she does her daughter.

* * *

Sam’s not entirely sure how she ends up eating the second best burger in the city, her legs dangling over the side of a parking structure with Kara by her side, but their dates usually involve eating food in interesting places. The parking structure is near the airport, and they watch the planes come and go as they eat.

Kara’s phone buzzes in her pocket and she quickly swipes her hands off on a napkin before she pulls it out. She reads the text she’s just gotten, a perplexed expression on her face.

“Did you just get a text from Lena?”

“My hands are a mess. Grab my phone for me?”

Kara raises an eyebrow as she slides her hand into Sam’s front pocket and slowly slides her phone out. Sam grins at her.

“Yeah, you got it too,” Kara says.

“Read it to me?”

Kara clears her throat. “‘If you two are free next weekend, I’d like to have dinner at my restaurant. Saturday at seven. Let me know if this works for you.’”

Sam hums, deep in thought. Maybe they’re finally going to hash this all out. Given the expression on Kara’s face, she’s likely thinking the same.

“We should go, right?” Kara asks, softly.

“We have to,” Sam says. “I really want to figure this out. Do you?”

“I do. I think I still have more feelings for Lena than I thought I did. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I do too. Like I said, she’s a hard person to forget.”

Kara nods, staring at a plane soaring off into the blue, cloudless sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I love writing Alex, she's slowly turning into my favorite character in this whole story
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! I love comments so much, as you know!


	9. I'll Believe in Anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay and the somewhat shorter chapter, I've just been busy lately! I hope y'all have been well!

Kara and Sam are standing outside of the restaurant where they had their non-date, months ago. It feels strange to be back here, Kara figures, under such different circumstances, which such new stakes in their relationship. She squeezes Sam’s hand, prompting her to glance in her direction.

“How are you feeling?” Sam asks.

“A little nervous,” Kara says. “Maybe a lot nervous.”

“Yeah, I feel the same way.”

Kara anxiously reads the latest text message from Lena once again: “Meet me inside. I just got here.”

“Well, no time like the present, right?” Sam says. “Shall we?”

“Let’s do it,” Kara nods.

They head inside. Kara can feel her heart pounding in her chest. The hostess recognizes Sam, of course, and they’re led to a private table in the back next to a picture-frame window that looks out onto the water. Lena is sitting there, as promised, looking beautiful and sad, half of her face illuminated by the water’s reflection of the setting sun.

“Hey, Lena,” Kara says softly, almost regretful to break her out of her reverie.

“Oh, hello, you two,” Lena says, her expression a little distant and still sad. “Please, sit down.”

There’s a shuffling of chair legs against carpet, followed by a tense silence. Kara weaves her hands together, unsure of what to say, and Sam doesn’t seem to be doing much better. Sam reaches out and squeezes Kara’s hands, both to comfort her and to silence their anxious movements. Lena’s eyes flicker down to their connected hands.

They’re saved by their waiter, who comes around and asks for their drink orders. Kara opts for water, while both Lena and Sam go for wine.

Silence descends upon them once more, until Lena finally chuckles nervously, though it’s almost as uncomfortable.

“Sorry, I invited you two here, I should say what’s been on my mind,” Lena says. “I suppose it’s no secret not that I – I like the two of you. And it’s clear that you two aren’t too opposed to that.”

“We definitely aren’t,” Kara is quick to say.

“Yeah, we’ve discussed this too,” Sam says. “We’re open to this. We’ll just need to take it slow and figure things out.”

“I understand,” Lena says. “I’m just…”

They’re interrupted by their waiter, who pours their wine, explaining the vintage and winery and complimenting them on their taste. Kara can’t help but be amused by Lena’s frustrated expression – she’s always been annoyed by the trappings of wealth. They all put in their orders.

Lena falls into silence once again, even after their waiter has left, so Kara reaches out and squeezes her hand. Their eyes meet, and not for the first time Kara is struck by how soulful they are, how beautiful they are, and how intense her gaze.

“I’m no good at this,” Lena says, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sam chuckles good-naturedly. “Neither are we. We’re all kind of new to the world of polyamory.”

“No, I mean I’m no good at relationships,” Lena says. “Look at me. I work too much, sleep too little, drink more than I should; I’m cold and distant and terrified of everything that I feel. I’m a mess.”

“And yet, here we are,” Kara says.

“Yeah, do you see us running and screaming?” Sam asks, a fond smile on her face.

Lena looks at the two of them, disbelief still clear on her face; but, a spark of hope flares in her eyes. Kara sees it, and she knows that Sam can see it too.

“You two are – you deserve better than me,” Lena says.

“It’s not about deserving or not deserving,” Kara says.

“Besides, even if it were, that’s really not up to you,” Sam says, shrugging. “Sorry. You’re kind of stuck with us.”

“I…” Lena’s voice dies in her throat.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kara says, scooting over to put her arm around Lena’s shoulders. “I kind of get how you feel.”

She then tells Lena everything she told Sam, about her parents’ deaths and her experiences with the foster care system and the scars left on her psyche. Lena looks even more impossibly sad, before a dry chuckle escapes her lips.

“I can’t believe we’ve both been screwed over by right-wing extremists,” Lena says, her tone dripping with the darkest of humor.

All of National City knows how Lex Luthor funneled money into domestic terrorist groups to further his own business and political goals, and only got arrested on charges of insider trading. It’s a strange thing that binds her with Lena, Kara figures, all of this senseless hate and violence. But it’s good that they’re both able to talk about it.

“I’m glad we’ve gotten everyone’s tragic backstories out there,” Sam says, trying to inject a hint of levity back into the conversation. “I’m a single mom, if anyone’s forgotten.”

“Well, how could any of us forget Ruby?” Lena asks.

She locks eyes with Sam for just a brief moment, but Kara just knows that they’re thinking about their own personal history with Sam’s daughter, how Lena had the privilege to know her when she was just a baby. Kara knows she will never fully understand that aspect of their relationship or that time in their lives, and she finds that it doesn’t bother her. Rather, she likes it, that any pairing of the three of them results in such different shared histories and perspectives.

“So, is this actually happening?” Lena asks. “Are we really going to do this?”

“I’m in,” Sam answers, almost immediately. “Kara?”

Suddenly, both pairs of eyes are upon her. Rather than feeling nervous, as she had been earlier, a smile comes across her face.

“I’m in,” Kara says.

Their food arrives moments later, and it’s delicious.

“So, I guess this is kind of a date?” Kara manages to say between mouthfuls of food.

“Chew, Danvers, I’d hate to see you choke today, of all days,” Sam says.

Kara very pointedly glares at Sam as she thoroughly chews her next bite of food and swallows. Sam just laughs, while Lena looks slightly perplexed by the two of them.

“As I was saying, this is a date, right?” Kara asks. “Our first three-way date?”

A sense of giddiness builds up in Kara’s chest – this isn’t something she ever saw herself doing, but now that it’s happening, she can’t help but find it delightfully exciting. It seems so impossible to her that these two beautiful women are interested in her, and yet, here she is.

“I believe we can just call them ‘dates,’” Lena says, amused. “But, I suppose this is.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be coy, Lena,” Sam says. “This is it. We’re on a date.”

“We’re on a date,” Lena echoes, awe in her voice.

Kara smiles at her, bright as the sun.

* * *

They walk out of the restaurant and Sam immediately takes Lena’s hand, almost instinctively, like no time had passed since they were both in college and young and in love. Lena blushes fiercely, and not for the first time Kara wants to kiss her and see how deep she can make that blush.

“Desert?” Sam asks, directing her question to Kara.

“Obviously,” Kara says. “There’s a cupcake place super nearby that I’ve been dying to try.”

“Tell me, do you have a perfect catalogue in your head of all the best dessert places in the city?” Sam asks.

Kara scoffs. “Of course not. It includes all the best dessert places in Midvale, too. Now c’mon!”

After Kara orders a possibly concerning number of cupcakes, they find a table outside to enjoy the gorgeous, National City sunset together. Even with Lena there, Sam and Kara fall into their usual rhythm easily, teasing and flirting with one another with ease and feeding one another pieces of their desert. They don’t notice Lena slowly becoming detached from the conversation until she finally extricates her hand from Sam’s.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Sam asks.

“I’m – it’s nothing,” Lena says, almost like a reflex.

“No, c’mon,” Kara says. “We’ve all gotta get better at talking about what’s bothering us. It’s the only way we’re going to make this whole thing work.”

Lena sighs and stares down at her fingers; she’s picking at nonexistent hangnails.

“I feel like I’m intruding,” she says finally. “You two work so well together. I feel like I’m going to mess up whatever you two have.”

“No, Lena, of course not,” Sam says. “Look, I won’t lie. Kara and I have been together for a few months now, and we do work well together. We’re used to being in a relationship together. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you, two. We’re just now starting to figure this out; things are going to be a little rocky at first.”

“Plus, like we’ve been saying, we hardly know what ‘this’ is, either,” Kara says. “Sam and I will just have to try a little harder, won’t we?”

“Nah, I’m trying really hard and I’m doing exceptionally well,” Sam says, grinning. “You’re going to have to pick up the slack, Danvers.”

Kara feigns offense, and the combination of that with Sam’s sardonic humor is enough to coax a laugh out of Lena.

“Okay, calm down, you two,” Lena says. “We’ll all have to try hard, alright? I’ll get better at voicing my feelings. I’m not very good at it. Clearly.”

“Yeah, but you’re like twenty years old,” Sam says. “I’ll cut you some slack on your level of emotional maturity.”

“I’m twenty-five!”

Now Lena looks genuinely offended while Kara tries her hardest to stifle her laughter.

“Don’t mind her,” Kara says, resting her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Sam’s just grumpy because she’s the oldest in the group.”

“Hey, any grumpiness, perceived or otherwise, is unrelated to my age. I’m a dignified and powerful woman.”

“You have frosting on your nose, powerful woman,” Lena says.

“I do? Damn it.”

Sam swipes at her nose with a napkin until she realizes that Lena was messing with her.

“Wow, really living up to those evil Luthor genes, Lena.”

“Guilty.”

* * *

The three find themselves outside of Kara’s apartment, the setting sun casting them as silhouettes. Lena once again looks deeply shy and unsure of herself, which is always an odd look for the youngest and most powerful CEO in the country.

“So, would you like to come up?” Kara asks, breaking the silence.

Lena’s cheeks flush red. “Oh, I’m not sure if I’m ready for that…”

Kara blushes to match Lena, which leads to a very amused Sam.

“Not like that!” Kara is quick to say. “I mean, we can just hang out and, I don’t know, watch a movie or something? Drink some of the whiskey Alex left in my kitchen?”

“I – well…” Lena says, her voice trailing off.

“Oh, come on, Luthor,” Sam says. “It’ll be fun. It’ll be like a girl’s night, except you have the option to really cuddle with us and maybe kiss, if you’re good.”

That certainly doesn’t help Lena’s blush.

“Alright,” Lena says quietly. “I’ll come up.”

“That’s the spirit,” Sam says, leading Lena into the apartment building with her hand on her lower back. “We’ll even let you choose the first movie.”

Lena, whose understanding of pop culture lags behind Kara and Sam’s, ends up letting them decide on what to watch. They end up on some corny rom-com chosen from the depths of Netflix’s selection, though they still dim the lights and break out wine and snacks like they’re about to watch an Oscar winner.

After some coaxing, Lena ends up with her head in Kara’s lap and her feet in Sam’s. Kara’s running her fingers through Lena’s long, luxurious hair while Sam rubs her feet, and several times Lena has to bite her lip to avoid purring from this such wonderful treatment.

They shift positions several times over the course of the movie, and by the time the credits roll Kara has her muscular arms wrapped around Lena, who is sitting in her lap, and Sam is sprawled out across the rest of the couch, her feet resting against Kara’s thigh.

“That was terrible,” Sam says.

“Why do we always watch bad movies together?” Lena asks.

“Hey, that was a bad TV show we watched the last time we were over,” Sam says. “How are we all feeling?”

“Like Lena has been using me as a chair for the last half-hour,” Kara says, grinning.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Lena says. “I should’ve asked…”

“Kara is teasing you, dear,” Sam says. “I, for one, know that there are few things she likes more than all that physical contact with your butt.”

Lena blushes again. Sam smiles as if to say ‘mission accomplished.’ The three of them fall silent for a moment.

“So, I think that went well,” Kara say softly, as if talking about their relationship too loudly will cause it to shatter.

“It did,” Sam says. “Dinner and a movie. Can’t beat that.”

“I really enjoyed myself,” Lena says, voice equally soft. “I was so nervous when I invited you two to dinner. I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen.”

“Yeah, I was going crazy with nerves,” Kara says. “Sam can tell you that much, too.”

“We didn’t really know what was going to happen, either,” Sam says. “We all just feel this pull to one another, don’t we? Maybe we don’t need to understand it. Maybe we’ve just got to let it happen.”

“I think so,” Lena says. “I’ve spent so long denying the way I’ve felt. It was driving me crazy.”

Kara gathers her up in a tight embrace.

“Don’t worry. With us you can let yourself feel it all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They still have some issues to work through, but hey, they're trying their best! 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! Comments/kudos/even bookmarks are appreciated!


	10. Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Another chapter for ya! As I continue writing this I realize I have no idea how I'm going to end it, so maybe it'll just keep going on forever? Who knows? 
> 
> And yes, the title of this chapter is a Frank Ocean reference lol

Later that week, Alex finds herself standing in front of her mirror, sighing as she once again pulls off her top and grabs another off of her bed, which is strewn with what feels like half of her closet. Today’s the day she’s asking Maggie to renew their vows and her nerves are getting the better of her. She knows that, of course, they’re already married and nothing is changing that; it’s just that she really wants to do this right.

“Hey, are you finished in there?” Maggie asks. “Your wife hungers.”

Alex snorts. “My wife is going to have to wait a little longer. I’m deciding on what to wear.”

Alex can’t help but smile when she hears Maggie groan and lean her weight against the door to their bedroom.

“Since when is that a struggle for you?” Maggie asks. “Look, just wear the same thing you did during our first date.” 

“That old flannel? That thing is so ratty.”

“It’s soft.”

There’s something to the quiet, sentimental tone to Maggie’s voice that has Alex rummaging through their dresser. She finds the flannel beneath a messily-folded stack of old band tees – it is a bit worn, but there aren’t any holes in it, and just looking at it transports her back to that first date. She smiles and puts it on.

It looks perfect.

“Looking good, hot stuff,” Maggie says the second Alex steps out of their bedroom.

“Oh, I know. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Maggie fondly rolls her eyes.

They quickly make their way to the diner, which is just a few blocks away from the hospital where Alex, at the time, was an intern. It’s just as Alex remembers: the diner is a real historical landmark, and as such it looks just as it did decades and decades ago, with its chintzy leather booths, wood-paneled walls, ancient coffee makers, and a lovely view of the palm trees swaying in the parking lot.

“Wait, do you remember which booth we sat at during our first date?” Maggie asks as they’re being seated.

“Oh, that’s so cute!” their waitress says. “We have to find the right one.”

Alex rubs the back of her neck. She remembers the exact one.

“It’s that one over there, by the window,” she says, pointing to it.

Maggie smiles at her like she did during that very first date, which is to say that Maggie smiles at her.

“Wow, I’m so happy to be a part of this,” their waitress says. “Well, go and get seated!”

Maggie reaches out and grabs Alex’s hands as they sit down, a knowing look in her eyes.

“What is it?” Alex asks.

“You have something planned. You’re being extra romantic and sentimental.”

Alex raises an eyebrow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m always act exactly like this.” 

“Uh huh. Okay.”

“What, you don’t believe me?”

“Oh, just look at your menu, dear.”

As sentimental as they’re being, they don’t, in fact, order the same thing they did during their first date (Alex’s palette, for one, has evolved at least a little beyond tuna melts that are at least 50% grease). Their food comes quickly and they dig in; Maggie really was hungry.

Alex talks about a recent surgery, something complex and risky that Maggie hardly understands but makes her so proud of her wife all the same, and Maggie talks about a rarity for any police precinct: they’ve successfully solved a long-standing missing persons case, and have reunited a family that was on the verge of giving up hope. And, as much as Alex dearly loves her sister, they don’t spend a moment talking about any polyamory drama. Today is all about them.

By the time they order their desert – a massive, thick strawberry milkshake that seems to be mostly ice cream, something neither of them complain about – Alex’s heart is pounding in her chest. Her time is counting down to pop the big question to Maggie.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Maggie asks. “You look like you’re thinking real hard about something. A real risk for you.”

“Need I remind you that I –”

“– are the youngest orthopedic surgeon in the county and have more research paper writing credits to your name than I have fingers, yes.”

Alex smiles cheekily at her, before her nerves overwhelm her again in a massive wave.

“But, no, I am thinking about something,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck.

“So, we’ve been together for a pretty long time now,” she continues.

“We’ve been together for four years, married for two, by my count.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Now, I loved how we got married – a quick trip to the courthouse, a fancy dinner. Or, at least a fancy dinner for us at the time. But, I’ve just been thinking, and…”

In a slightly awkward motion, Alex gets down on one knee before Maggie and produces a velvet box from her purse. Maggie’s eyes grow wide and a patron sitting near them gasps, and suddenly all eyes are on Alex.

“I love you so much. Every day that I’m with you I find something new to love about you, and every day I’m amazed to the point of incredulity that I’m married to someone as wonderful as you are. I can’t imagine my life without you. I want to renew our vows.”

Alex opens the velvet box, revealing a gorgeous, glittering opal wedding ring.

“Wow,” Maggie breathes. “So dramatic. I didn’t know people went this all-out for vow renewals.”

“Just say yes, asshole,” Alex says, without missing a beat.

Everyone in the restaurant laughs.

“Of course!” Maggie says. “We have the money to throw a proper ceremony now!”

Alex laughs as she slides the ring onto her wife’s finger, before rising to embrace her.

“Just think,” Alex says. “A beautiful location. Fancy food. An open bar.”

“Well, we have to entertain our friends somehow.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They kiss, and the entirety of the restaurant, from staff to patrons, cheer.

* * *

With the news that Alex has asked Maggie to renew their vows and the wonderful newness of her polyamorous relationship, Kara starts to think that everything is alright. Her dates are wonderful, always with both Sam and Lena, her relationship with Ruby grows even stronger, and, one day, Snapper Carr even acknowledges that one of her recent pieces has struck a chord with the public, and that she must be doing something right.

Perhaps now all of her troubles have ceased, she thinks. But nothing is ever that easy, certainly not for her.

Kara lies in bed awake, with Sam by her side. Lena’s cancelled on them for the second time in just a handful of weeks, and if there’s evidence that something has changed, that’s it. Moonlight leaks into the room through a gap in the curtains, and Kara admires the way that it spills across Sam’s bare back, making luminescent her soft skin.

She’s tempted to reach out and touch that bare skin, but she doesn’t want to wake her up and she’s distracted by thoughts about Lena. She racks her brain for what could have gone wrong. Is it something they’ve said? Or done? Or, perhaps Lena is being plagued by something else, like trouble at work or with what family she has left.

Kara knows it’s neither. L-Corp is making so much money that Sam has been complaining that they don’t know what to do with it all, especially after Lena has given all of her employees another sizable raise in however many months. Lex is still in jail, of course, and because of Lena’s popularity any hint of a breakout would’ve dominated the news cycle for at least forty-eight hours. Her stepmother, Lillian, is very wealthy but no longer so much so that she’s protected from the prying eyes of the press like so many of the ultra-wealthy are, so it couldn’t be her, either. So, not family, either. It had to be them.

An echo of a past conversation comes to Kara, and she wonders if it could be that simple. 

“Are you awake?” Sam asks, voice thick with sleep.

“Yeah,” Kara says. “Sorry if I woke you. I’m just thinking.”

* * *

Kara tells Sam of her plan in the morning, and she agrees enthusiastically.

* * *

If Lena is surprised to see Kara strolling into her office that Friday without Sam by her side, she doesn’t show it. In fact, Lena looks even more tired than she normally does, the dark circles set in a bit more deeply beneath her eyes, and there’s nothing that Kara wants more than to make her girlfriend feel better.

“Kara,” Lena says, managing something of a smile. “What are you doing here?”

Kara returns the smile and leans against the desk. She sees Lena’s eyes flit down to her legs, and she’s happier than ever that she decided to wear this skirt today. She knows the power that Sam’s skirts have, and she’s always wanted to try them out for herself.

“What, I can’t see my girlfriend at work?”

A blush comes to Lena’s cheeks, and it’s clearer than ever that she still doesn’t really think of herself as their _girlfriend_ , at least not really.

“No rules against that, I suppose.”

“So, I was thinking – if you’re not too busy, of course – we go on a date after work today. Just you and me.”

“Just you and me? Without Sam?” Lena asks, surprised.

“Exactly. She’s going to ask you on a date next week, but you didn’t hear that from me. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

Kara grins cheekily at Lena, which gets at least a hint of a reaction out of her. She’ll absolutely take that kind of response.

“I don’t know,” Lena says. “Is Sam really okay with this? Is this, I don’t know, breaking any rules of polyamory?”

“I think we can sort of set the rules as we go along. And, yes, Sam is completely okay with this; just the other night we talked about how we need to work a little harder at cultivating our relationship with you, which can be hard if we’re always going out as the three of us.”

Lena looks aside, doubt clear in her expression.

“And, c’mon,” Kara says. “Could you really blame either of us for wanting a little one-on-one time with you?”

“I – I have a little more work to do,” Lena finally says.

“That’s not a no.”

A ghost of a smile graces Lena’s impossibly pretty face. “No, it’s not. Look, I’m working on allocating some funds, which needs to be done by the end of today. After that, I’m sure you could convince me to go out.”

* * *

Kara, of course, works her charms and Lena agrees on that date. Being Kara, they have to get dinner first, which they do at a charming, hole-in-the-wall Mongolian BBQ place that only she would be able to find. They have an incredible time, and Kara can already see some of Lena’s worries melting away.

After dinner, though, they find themselves on the grand staircase that leads to the National City Museum of Art.

“I’m pretty sure it’s closed right now, Kara,” Lena notes, amused.

“Oh, you of little faith! Just wait.”

They do so, and as the minutes stretch on Lena teases her again, but the confident expression never leaves Kara’s face. Finally, a guard appears at the front door, opens it up for them, and waves them in.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this for you,” the guard groans as Kara gives him a cheery wave.

“Sure, but you do owe me! C’mon, Lena.”

If the guard’s eyes weren’t bugging out of his head before, they certainly are now.

“You’re smuggling _Lena Luthor_ in here? Are you crazy?”

“No, I’m a really good girlfriend. Now, thank you so much for letting us in.”

The guard sighs. “Fine, have fun you two. Come find me when you’re done.”

He walks off to return to the security room, leaving Lena and Kara alone in the empty museum. Though the space is darkened, there are enough ambient lights on to allow them to see the works of art around them (and to deter any potential thieves).

“What favor does this guy owe you?” Lena asks.

“Oh, that’s a story for another day. Let’s just say it involves my talents as a former wrestling champion and a particularly overenthusiastic fan of Cezanne.”

Lena chuckles. “I’m sorry I asked.”

Kara laughs in turn and takes Lena’s hand in her own. A blush finds its way to Lena’s cheeks, and Kara doesn’t think she’ll ever get over the fact that _she’s_ causing that reaction, that she has such influence on such a wonderful and beautiful woman.

They make their way through the darkened museum, admiring the art without having to fight through throngs of people. Kara, who remembers everything she learned during her short stint as an art major, purposefully shows off and tries to impart as many fun facts about each artist they see to Lena, who is suitably impressed. They take their time, flirting and making silly jokes about these world-famous pieces of art.

“And then I told them, ‘no, just get me something that’s more than just lines and colors, and…’” Lena lets her story trail off as she realizes Kara is no longer by her side. “Kara?”

Kara finds herself standing in front of a piece by a lesser known local artist. It depicts an archetypal California coastline, like something you could see off one of the shoreline highways, all deep blues and golds and greens. She registers Lena slowly placing her hand on her lower back, and hums in response.

“You like this one?” Lena asks.

“I do,” Kara says. “It reminds me of Midvale, where I grew up.”

Lena nods, in thought for a moment.

“You don’t talk a lot about that,” Lena says. “About Midvale, or how it was growing up there.”

“I guess I don’t. I had a rough go of things when I was adopted. My stepparents are great, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t think I’d even be here today without Alex, but it wasn’t easy. You know what happened to my mom and dad, and there I was, a little teenager with zero social skills and no ways of processing everything I was feeling.”

“I know how you feel. Adapting to that new situation can be hard.”

Kara, who knows more than most about Lena’s acclimation to the Luthor household, nods and wraps her arm around Lena’s shoulder to pull her in tight. Lena melts into her embrace.

“I was so sad and so angry all the time. I would come home from school and scream into my pillow and pound my fists into my bed. I must’ve looked insane.”

Kara chuckles humorlessly.

“Alex caught me tearing up my room one time,” she continues. “She told me to find some better coping mechanisms, because I was freaking the hell out of her. I said I didn’t want to do any of that, so the next day I wake up to find she had thrown brochures for everything from painting seminars to wrestling classes onto me as I was asleep.”

“What did you end up doing?”

Kara shrugs. “All of them. Painting stuck with me the longest, besides lifting weights.”

“You never show anyone your art. I’d love to see some, if that’s alright with you.”

A ghost of a smile graces Kara’s features. “Maybe one day. It won’t be as good as this one.”

“I’m sure it’ll be even better.”

Lena’s looking up into her eyes, and Kara feels her heart swell; she can’t believe she’s here right now, with a woman she cares for so very much. She begins to lean in for a kiss when she’s distracted by the sound of shoes squeaking against the polished marble floors.

“Hey!” someone shouts. “You two can’t be in here!”

Kara’s expression twists into one of guilt. They spent too long wandering through the exhibits and the guards must’ve rotated.

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Lena asks, always cool under this sort of pressure.

“That’s no fun,” Kara says. “Run!”

Lena looks at her, scandalized, but Kara is already kicking her heels off.

“C’mon!” she shouts.

Kara begins sprinting off, looking every inch the former track star that she is, and Lena just sighs heavily before following in her lead. Kara reaches back and grabs Lena’s hand, pulling her along as they try to shake off the guard, who is already breathing heavily and sweating.

“Where are we going?” Lena asks.

“Don’t worry, I know a way out of here.”

Kara looks back to see that Lena’s look of concern has been replaced by one of exhilarated joy as they wind through exhibits and barrel down hallways and sprint down stairs.

“Secret door,” Kara says, grinning, as she points towards it. “Don’t ask me how I know where this it.”

Kara pushes it open and holds it for Lena, who wastes no time in getting outside.

“Hey, wait, don’t!” the security guard yells, close enough to see them but much too far to catch up to them.

“Sorry, we just really love art!” Kara shouts back as she slams the door closed.

She grabs Lena’s hand once more. “C’mon, we have to find somewhere to hide. We’re big-time criminals now, Lena.”

Lena just laughs, and they both run down the darkened sidewalk, the streetlights tugging and pulling at their shadows.

They almost stop at a bar, but Lena doesn’t want to spend time around a bunch of drunk people, so they find a coffee shop, open late, instead. They’re the only patrons there, so Lena’s cup of decaf comes out quickly, as does Kara’s warmed-up slice of banana bread. They find a table near the front windows so they can people watch – National City is always full of life, and it’s especially so on a warm Friday night like tonight.

“That was really fun, Kara,” Lena says, reaching across the table to grab her hand. “Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure. I hope you’re feeling a little better about, I don’t know. This whole thing.”

Lena takes a sip of her coffee.

“I was jealous of you and Sam both at first,” she says. “I had such a crush on you, and you know my history with Sam. It was tough watching you two, at times.”

Kara nods, feeling such a fondness for the woman sitting across from her that it aches in her heart.

“But, I think this is something I just have to work through. With time. And, I do feel much better about this. So thank you, Kara, this was a lovely idea.”

“We’ll work through it together. We’re here for you, Lena.”

Lena hums. “I know you are.”

* * *

Lena’s driver drops them off in front of Kara’s apartment building, where they linger for a few moments.

“Do you want to come up?” Kara asks.

“I – yes,” Lena says. “I’d like that.”

Kara takes her hand once more and they ride the elevator up to the apartment. Lena stands a bit stiffly nearly the front door as Kara exhales audibly and flings her purse onto the couch and shrugs her light coat off her shoulders.

“Is everything alright?” Kara asks.

“Sorry,” Lena says, before chuckling to herself. “This is a little silly, but I’m feeling kind of nervous.”

“Oh, Lena, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Kara says, resting her hands pm Lena’s waist. “We don’t have to do anything tonight you don’t want to.”

“I know. I – I’d very much like to kiss you. If that’s alright.”

Kara answers by leaning in and softly capturing Lena’s lips with her own. They stay like that for what feels like a blissful eternity, in each other’s embrace, locked in a kiss that neither wants to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I love feedback! Comments, kudos, whatever! Thanks for reading!!!


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